Wild Things
by budgefan1990
Summary: AU. "Felids", feline-human hybrids, used to be fashionable pets; now no one wants them, and Bakura the white Persian is confined to a shelter all alone. This is, until a new companion arrives, an Egyptian mau by the name of Malik... Thiefshipping, YBXMI, rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, I know I know it's the cheesiest premise but yeah, basically there are two types of "felid", bitches and studs. Bitches get mated by studs, etc. and yes they can get knocked up and yes I suck **THAT MEANS MPREG PEOPLE**... KIND OF.

I don't own Yugioh.

Chapter 1

At age twenty four, Yugi Mutou found himself the sole caretaker at the Turtle Animal Shelter, a nonprofit facility funded by the Kaiba Corporation which, contrary to its name, did not house any turtles. In fact, aside from Yugi, there was only one other occupant in the shelter, a feline-human hybrid, or "felid" by the name of Bakura. At one time, this creature—product of genetic engineering and whimsy—had been all the rage with the wealthy, celebrity types... but it had been a long time since felids fell out of vogue, and they weren't cheap to keep. And with his vicious demeanor, Bakura was quite a handful.

In addition to (and perhaps the reason for) his attitude, Bakura was a runt; despite technically being a stud his muscle mass was practically nonexistent, his height was hardly distinguishable from a bitch, and his haughty voice was comically high-pitched, even for his build. Aside from this, he was a handsome creature, a pure snowy white Persian with pale skin and a rogueish charm to his face. Nonetheless, he was a bad pet (the little old woman who'd brought him in had come to Yugi in tears) and a worse breeder, nothing that would interest any of the pedigree show circuit types that still kept his kind around... and so Yugi was stuck with him. Which wouldn't have been a problem, if Bakura hadn't decided the very day that he was dumped on the doorstep that they were mortal enemies.

Bakura didn't like to be challenged. He was a prideful creature, to a fault, prone to boasting and taunting and cackling in his juvenile voice. And he didn't like Yugi, for whatever reason, so he made it his mission in life to be an unholy terror. Yugi, however, proved to possess a remarkable degree of patience, and so the two fell into a more or less manageable stalemate. After six months of caring for him, Yugi had all but forgotten the warning with which Bakura's previous owner had left him_..._

_That __**thing **__is __**evil**__!_

"Ah, Yugi." Yugi stepped into Bakura's enclosure, and was greeted by the felid lounging in a sinister manner on a concrete shelf overhead. "Foolish enough to venture into my domain?"

"Morning, Bakura."

Unperturbed, Yugi dragged his mop trolley in after him, the wheels catching when they met astro turf. It was balmy and humid inside, making Yugi's wild hair even wilder, curling his shortest bangs around his brow. Bakura watched him with keen eyes, tail swishing faster the longer he was ignored.

"You're looking particularly _squat _today."

Not even a glance. "You don't say."

"I dosay," Bakura grinned, chin on his folded arms, tail still swishing. "But I wouldn't worry. It's not like your _girlfriend_ is around to notice."

Yugi had pulled the trolley to the bleached concrete where Bakura took his meals, and hauled the mop out of its sloppy bucket.

"Since she left and all."

It hit the floor with a sopping splat, speckling halfway up the fronts of his khaki work pants.

"To study _dance_."

Yugi leaned forward on the mop, casting a quizzical eye at Bakura. "Something wrong with dance?"

Bakura barked a laugh, his delight at being addressed finally reaching his eyes. "Oh, I don't know. I don't do it myself, it's a human thing... one of the stupider-looking ones, in my opinion. But what do I know?" He snickered. "I haven't studiedit."

Yugi rolled his eyes, and began to mop in earnest. He didn't see the smirk drop from Bakura's face.

"Must be awfully lonely."

Not even a pause. Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Without her. I don't suppose girls are exactly busting down your doors, after all. I'm not saying _all_ women like big guys, just... bigger than themselves, generally. Or, y'know, a twelve year old." He huffed a dramatic sigh, casting his gaze to the cieling. "Oh, Yugi... you may just be alone forever."

Yugi snorted audibly.

Not the response Bakura was hoping for, but a response nonetheless. His smirk widened. "How does that make you feel, Yugi?"

The little caretaker paused. Still leaning on the mop, he turned to face Bakura, his boyish face neutral. "Probably a lot like how _you _feel, Bakura."

Bakura's smirk dropped in an instant, and a bitter growl rose in his throat. Yugi was vaguely aware when he alighted the shelf and stalked off, hissing.

With a sigh, Yugi returned to his task. He didn't like being mean to Bakura, but it was obvious that the felid wasn't pulling any punches today; both his height and his girlfriend's decision to leave him were sore subjects, much like Bakura's sub par mating history was. It didn't help that they were literally each other's only outlet for social interaction these days... despite his taunting, Yugi enjoyed Bakura's company, but he wasn't human; likewise, Bakura clearly lit up in Yugi's presence, but he needed to be with his own kind. Even if the last time had ended _disastrously..._

The ringing of his work phone startled Yugi, mainly because it never rang. It took him a moment to even discern its source, and sure enough, the phone's KaibaCorp logo was flashing blue, with a rare but welcome name in the display.

"Mokuba!"

"Hey Yugi!" Yugi could hear crunching, and loud swallowing. "Sorry. Seto's been making me eat carrots. He thinks my vision's getting bad or something."

"Is it?"

"I dunno, I think he just wants an excuse not to tan my ass, I uhh... wrecked the company car... again."

"Jesus!" Yugi could only imagine Kaiba's face. "Again? You've only had your license, like... three months?"

"Yeah okay I got the spiel already, believe me, Seto was really mad. I dunno why, I told him we could just get another car, what's the big deal? He doesn't like wasting money. How stupid is that?"

Yugi inwardly groaned. "Don't you think he might have been, I don't know, worried?" He heard Mokuba pause, apparently confused by the concept. "About you."

Mokuba started crunching again. "Yeah, maybe. Hey, speaking of things that Seto hates wasting money on... how's the shelter?"

Yugi bristled, before he even had a chance to answer Mokuba was giggling. "Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry Yugi, he thinks the shelter's a cool idea. Really." Snicker.

"It's _fine_."

"Nobody's come to get that nasty one yet, huh?"

Yugi glanced around before answering. "No, he's still here. Still nasty."

Crunch, crunch. Swallow. "Is he lonely?"

Yugi paused at the question, thoughts of KaibaCorp surveillance cameras leaving his mind the moment they entered. "Yeah, he is actually."

"Good!" Yugi blinked. "You're not gonna believe this, but one of the warehouse managers down at the pier called me up just now. He said they found another one of those things hiding in a crate. It's pretty big, they didn't really know what to do about it so they called me." Crunch, swallow. "That's the kind of calls I get, by the way. Co-CEO my ass."

Yugi gasped a little. "Another one of... a felid?"

Crunch. "Yeah. I haven't seen it yet, but the one you've got is a stud right? Supposedly?"

"Supposedly."

"Does it matter if this one is too? 'Cuz they can't tell."

Yugi's heart sank a little. "Well... it can, if you get two studs in one enclosure they can fight a lot... but... there aren't any bitches around, so it'll probably be okay."

"Okay, well I'll go pick it up then, and those lazy asses can get back to work. Honestly, there's like thirty guys there, how mean can this thing be?"

"Mean?"

"Oh, uhh..." Mokuba sucked air between his teeth, something he did when he was caught doing something that he didn't feel sorry for. "...yeah. I guess it's kinda mean."

Yugi shifted his gaze to the ground, waiting.

"Like, really mean. It attacked the guy that let it out. Maybe it's a feral one or something."

"Felids were engineered in a lab, Mokuba. There aren't feral ones." Yugi sighed, watching his foot rest on the lip of the mop trolley. "And he's big, right?"

"Well, they think he might be a bitch, he can't be that big. But, yeah, bigger than your scrawny one." A pause. "But like, okay. Yours is mean as hell anyways. Maybe they'll get along!"

"...Maybe." Yugi looked up again, glancing around for Bakura. He was a bit startled to find the felid staring right at him, and realized that he must have caught wind of the conversation. He broke eye contact, now aware of the other's rapt attention. "Okay. Bring him around. It's not like there's another shelter that'll take him nearby."

"Cool! I'll head down there right now, I kinda wanna see it anyways. The manager said it was really exotic looking. Maybe we've got a smuggler or something, I can investigate."

"Investigate away, I'll be here. See you soon!"

In true Kaiba form, Mokuba had already hung up. With a wry smile, Yugi looked over to Bakura. The felid was still boring holes in his head with his inquisitive gaze.

"How about that... so much for being alone forever, eh Bakura?"

* * *

Mokuba arrived nearly two hours later in an armored van.

"Don't worry, this is just best thing we could think of," the teen remarked as he hopped out, in response to Yugi's worried look. "He's really not that bad. Wore himself out really quick, I guess the journey from Egypt didn't agree with him."

"Egypt?" Yugi's face lit up, as Mokuba predicted. Yugi was a bit of an Egyptophile, an odd quirk of his.

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah, that's where the shipment was coming in from. I'm gonna have to get a hold of our Cairo branch, I've had termites and rats and stuff come in but this is ridiculous..."

While the young 'co-CEO' went on, Yugi rounded the vehicle to peer into the back, unable to contain his excitement. Even standing on his toes, however, he couldn't see inside the small barred window... he yelped and lept back when the door swung open, revealing two burly looking men.

"Where are we bringing this thing?" Said one, addressing Yugi and gesturing behind him.

"Um, if he's leashed, I can just take him..." he offered, but the bigger man shook his head.

"He's tired, but not _that _tired. No offense." He turned to the other large man, nodding backward. "Here, you grab his arms, I've got his l- oh." The man chuckled behind him. "Looks like he _was_ that tired."

Hefting himself up, Yugi moved past the men as politely as he could and into the vehicle. He was giddy with anticipation, had been since the phone call; for all the time that he spent with and studied felids, he'd hardly seen any specimens in the flesh besides Bakura, and this one was from _Egypt, _where they'd originated. He caught sight of the sleeping form, spread on a fold-out table, and his breath caught in his throat; eyes scanning the figure, he could see that it was larger than Bakura, muscular and long-limbed, with a beautifully sculpted torso. Its skin was a tawny bronze, bare from head to toe, hair and tail a pale gold. Its closed eyes were lined in broad, elegant sweeps of dark pigment, a genetic tribute to its place of origin. A specimen it was, and Yugi's hopes were confirmed.

"This is an Egyptian mau."

It was Mokuba who replied. "Isn't that like, the super deluxe kind?"

"Yes." Yugi said simply. "They... it's a really, _really _rare breed. They only made one line, and..." Yugi eyes roamed the markings visible on the sleeping felid's shoulders, which he knew led to a large, intricate pattern on its back. "...this one's a purebred."

The moment the words were out of Yugi's mouth, Mokuba's eyes darted to the two men, as if expecting them to pull guns and mutiny on him for this apparent prize. Yugi, however, went on babbling.

"This, oh wow, the markings are so _clear_... he's young, really young, probably never mated..." Yugi had leaned rather close to the sleeping figure, his gaze trailing along it and drinking in all the textbook-perfect details. At the torso, he noted dark, soft looking nipples and drew his attention to the deep curve of the waist, following it to the small but distinct swell of the hip. "...and he's a bitch."

Something made contact with his face. Something sharp, swiping across his cheek and toppling him from his kneeling position to lie on his side before he scrambled backwards. Feeling a wet trickle, Yugi's hand went to his cheek and came away with his fingertips stained red. Looking back up, his gaze was pierced by two flaming violet-colored irises, sucking him in to the tiniest slitted pupils he had ever seen. They flashed cruelly.

"I'd think twice about who I call 'bitch'," a haughty, teenaged voice, and the felid flicked Yugi's blood from his coal-black claws. "Bitch."

* * *

"I think you should sedate him."

Yugi resisted the urge to cradle his cheek with Mokuba staring at him, and recognized that it was more a command than a suggestion. Nonetheless, he shook his head.

"I know he seems mean, but I'd bet it's more fear than anything," he mused, watching the two big men haul the now fully awake and less than pleased Egyptian mau in a rather undignified manner. "It almost always is."

Mokuba nodded. Under the flourescent lights of the shelter hallway, the creature looked starkly foreign, like a peacock in a chicken coop, and though Yugi hadn't noticed it before, there was clearly a layer of firmly-caked grime in his hair. He'd have to give him a bath, he realized, and for a moment considered the sedation option... at Yugi's instruction, the men turned into a brightly lit room, with a large table and medical equipment. The sight of it caused the felid to thrash violently.

"What is this?" He spat, eyes fierce. "What are you doing?!"

"I have to give you some shots," Yugi explained, and when the eyes narrowed, he went to a nearby tray and fetched a hyperbolic needle. "See? It's small. It's so that you don't get sick, there are different diseases here than where you come from."

"I'm not _stupid_," the felid hissed, but relaxed a bit. The men hefted him up onto the table, and moved to restrain him, which riled him up again. Yugi stopped them, but they didn't loosen their grip on the strong limbs. When he spoke, the young caretaker addressed the felid, who was eyeing him in suspicion.

"If you don't run or fight, I don't see any reason to hold you down. That's why you're not sedated, either. Will you stay still?"

The creature stared at him; at length, he nodded. Warily, the men released him, and he pulled himself into a more dignified posture, staring down the delicate bridge of his nose at them. When they shrugged off to the corners of the room, waiting to be dismissed, the felid turned his attention to Yugi, who felt as though he was being appraised as a possible meal... but he was used to Bakura, and this one couldn't be _that _much worse, so he thanked him and got to work.

Mokuba found the whole business exciting. He liked felids, personally, he didn't understand why people thought they were creepy; they were cool! This one had black claws, too, and purple eyes. When Yugi washed him (which the felid was _not _pleased about), Mokuba caught sight of a huge black pattern on his back, like a tattoo... the markings Yugi was nerding out over, he guessed. They looked badass, and when the felid was dry, his hair glittered like a mix of silver and gold. Mokuba took a picture with his phone, and the sound made the creature whip its shining head in his direction.

"I wanna show Seto," Mokuba explained, and Yugi tried to regain the felid's attention; it seemed he spooked easily, and the more scared he got, the meaner he was, as Yugi had predicted. "Hey, shouldn't we give it a name?"

"I _have_ a name." It was weird to hear it talk. Maybe that's what creeped people out about them. "It's Malik."

"Okay, jeez," Mokuba snickered, eyes on his phone, "sorry. Hey, I gotta go, Seto wants me home for dinner."

Yugi was putting away his vaccination kit, and turned to give him a worn grin. "Sure, tell him I said hi."

"Will do. Later, _Malik." _With that, the young Kaiba took his leave, the men shuffling out after him.

When the door shut, Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. The presence of the large men had put Malik on edge; he didn't seem to mind Mokuba as much, but he was definitely vigilant of the other two. Now that it was just Yugi—not much of a threat—the felid seemed to unwind at every point of tension, easing into a lazy, regal posture.

"My name's Yugi," said the caretaker. "There's another felid here you're about to meet, his name is Bakura."

This caught Malik's interest, though he tried to disguise it. "How big is he?"

The question caught Yugi by surprise. "...Smaller than you."

Purple eyes flashed. "Is he a bitch?"

Oh. _Oh_. "No, a stud."

At this, Malik visibly bristled. Seeming to curse inwardly, he averted his gaze. "I see."

Yugi watched him for a moment. This reaction was a little unexpected, and difficult to interpret... in his experience, bitches _liked_ to be around studs, and vice versa. It wasn't entirely like males and females, but usually, the comparison was accurate enough... was it that Bakura was smaller? Yugi sighed; he knew first hand that small males had a tough time impressing mates, and he certainly wouldn't be surprised if Malik had high standards. Weighing his options, he came to a decision.

"He's not here to mate you," Yugi tested his theory, and Malik relaxed. So that _was _it. "If you don't want him to, he won't. You're just being housed together. I'll make sure he knows that, okay?"

Embarrassed at his lapse in confidence, Malik merely folded his arms across his chest. Yugi ran a hand through his hair, hoping that he'd be able to uphold his promise. Knowing Bakura, and how excited he'd been, this might prove disastrous... and Yugi wasn't exactly up to physically restraining him. Either of them. Oh, _damn_, he'd forgotten about clothes... he'd _really _have to get some in the morning, at least to cover Malik's lower half, considering the circumstances. In the meantime, he went to a nearby cupboard and fished out a plain linen cloth, setting it next to Malik and letting him wrap it around his slim waist. Swallowing his inhibitions, the young caretaker hooked the lead to the Egyptian's new black collar, and put on a beaming smile.

"Well..." he clapped his hands together, "let's... go meet Bakura!"

* * *

When he heard the tinny beep that indicated the unlocking of the enclosure from outside, Bakura's already wide grin widened exponentially. He leapt down from his favorite shelf, shaking his wild hair out and preening himself, he'd ought to look his best to meet his new... _friend_. So what if the bitch was a little bigger than him? He more than made up for his size in sinister charm and dashing good looks... so long as he kept his temper in check this time, he may just be welcoming little Bakurae into the world soon. And about time, too; wasting these genes was a crime against nature!

"Bakura?"

Yugi's tone was apprehensive, followed by placating murmurs when he received no answer from the Persian. His new bitch was nervous, how _cute_. Bakura snuck around, back through the foliage, to get a furtive glimpse at his soon-to-be mate.

His jaw dropped.

Oh _yes. _Yes, he would do _very _nicely, very _very _nicely, god _damn! _Bakura licked his thin lips, enjoying the creature's sensuous curves and musculature, he noted the prideful posture but it didn't deter him. He was definitelyfeeling up for a challenge.

"Well!" Bakura exclaimed, emerging from the brush. His visitors turned sharply, and his spine tingled when he met his new bitch's violet gaze. How exotic! "Well, well, well!" He approached Malik, who drew himself up to full height. "Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

"Likewise," Malik said evenly, eyeing the ravenous look on Bakura's face with measured disdain. "You must be Bakura."

"The one and only." Bakura purred. "And you are...?"

"This is Malik," Yugi stepped in, using his 'authoritative' tone. Bakura smirked. "He's going to be-"

"_Malik_." Bakura interrupted, not sparing Yugi a moment's attention. "Pretty name. It suits you, my little... Malik."

Malik's eyes narrowed at this. "Yours?" He snorted. "Dream on."

Bakura's smirk widened, but his eyes grew sharp. "I don't believe I have to. You were brought here for _me_, cupcake." More to irk the other than anything, Bakura roved his eyes over his lovely bare body, inwardly giggling when it tensed up in irritation. "I'm a stud, you see."

Malik laughed this time. It was a clear sound. Bakura met his glittering eyes. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm _dead _serious."

"Well, isn't that a shame," Malik said, not breaking the gaze. "Maybe I'm a stud too."

For a moment, all humor drained from Bakura's face, and Malik looked smug. But no, Bakura wasn't wrong; even from here, he could smell the other's pheromones, spicy and potent. He'd smelled them the moment Malik walked in, though only now did he recognize the source. The scent excited him, made his blood boil, and the grin returned to his face. "Bullshit you are."

"Um, guys," Yugi piped, cutting off Malik's retort and unsurprised when neither turned. So _this _was why Malik didn't want to be housed with a stud? He'd never seen this kind of behavior in a felid... usually, they were well aware of their own sex type, but it would seem Malik had missed the memo. Or maybe this was a tactic to deter Bakura; either way, it didn't bode well. "Try to keep it civil, all right? Bakura." The Persian's gaze remained fixed on Malik's, unblinking. "_Bakura_. Please, don't try anything, okay?"

"Don't try anything?!" Bakura cackled, finally breaking the staring contest. "Do you see him? Do you _smell _him?! He's _delicious! _Like hell I won't try anything!"

Malik bristled, snarling. "Try it, snowflake! I fucking dare you!"

"Oh, I intend to, _bitch_!"

And they tackled each other. Yugi wasn't stupid, and knowing that he couldn't break them up bodily, he dashed out of the enclosure and scrambled up the clanging metal staircase to the observation deck. A moment later, a piercing alarm sounded, and he watched below as the felids sprang apart, holding their ears. Once he was satisfied that they wouldn't start up again, Yugi flicked on the intercom.

"Okay, you two." Malik's head darted up, confused by the sourceless voice. "Listen up. I don't want to see any more of that out of you, either of you. _Bakura_," he watched the Persian roll his eyes. "be _nice_. Scratch that, just keep it in your pants. If you can do that, I think you'll get along fine."

Yugi pressed his fingertips to his temple when he saw Bakura leap to is feet, babbling in protest that he couldn't hear. "You heard me. I don't know how you got it in your head, but Malik was _not _brought here to be your bitch. The sooner you get that, the sooner you two can start being civil. And Malik." Malik looked to be snickering at Bakura's expense, but at the sound of his name he flicked his gaze up to ceiling in guarded puzzlement. "I want this to be a place where you feel welcome, but you can't just pounce on people anymore. I don't know your history, but we use words here. If you've got a problem, _say _something." Now Bakura looked amused, and Malik shot him a withering glare. Yugi sighed.

"That's all," he said in a tired voice. "I'm going to bed. Malik, there's water by the door, and you'll get breakfast first thing tomorrow. I'll see you both in the morning."

He flicked off the intercom, watching as the two felids eyed each other with all the subtlety of an air raid siren, and sighed. Knowing it was all he could do for the time being, Yugi reached up to cut the lights in the enclosure, bathing it in warm darkness.

"...Hopefully."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Miss Macabre Gray: I'm SO glad you think the story's original, I really was expecting flames up and down for doing the neko thing so that makes my day! As far as I've seen, Marik is 5'11'' and Bakura is 5'9'' but I could totally be wrong in which case uhh... oops plot hole

LadySunami: I debated ever going into the hokey fake science but now that I know people care I will TOTALLY go into the hokey fake science, so get ready for that sometime around chapter... 5?

I still don't own Yugioh.

Ch. 2

Bakura's plush white tail whipped back and forth, eye-catching in the dark. His eyes, glowing red with the reflection of the overhead heat lamp, were fixed on the prone form a few feet away, tracing its curves and lines. With the stealth of his feline 'forefathers', the Persian extended his arm, reaching a mischievous hand towards the still body...

When it was slapped away.

_Again. _

"Ugh!" He growled, refusing to be chastised when accusatory violet eyes turned to flash at him. "Go to sleep already!"

"_You _go to sleep!" Malik snapped, turning back around to resume his curled up posture. Bakura's exasperation mounted, boiling in his pink ears; this was unreasonable. Here they were, bitch and stud, half naked in the dark... and Malik wouldn't even let him _touch?_

"Tell me Malik, are you always such a frigid cunt, or am I just lucky?"

Malik half-turned to him, eyebrows arched. "Depends, are you always this charming?"

Bakura snorted. He'd _tried _charming. He'd been downright suave, if he did say so himself, but Malik wasn't having it... to add insult to injury, the Egyptian was _still _giving off pheromones like he couldn't get rid of them fast enough. Now, Bakura normally had admirable control over his sexual impulses, much moreso than your typical brainless-hunk-of-meat stud. But he had been alone for a long time, and the Egyptian was a particularly potent stimulus. This was...

He reached for the swell of Malik's ass, and was swatted away.

_...Torture_.

"Cut that out!" Malik barked.

Bakura's eyes flashed in frustration. "It's _my _shelf! I'll do as I damn well please on it!"

"Say no more." Malik huffed, getting up into a crouch. "I'm out of here. _Pardon_ _me._" He shoved past Bakura, who snapped his teeth, and slunk over to the edge of the concrete shelf upon which they were lying. The shelf was situated diagonal from the overhead heat source, and was pleasantly warm; there was a small pool nearby, bubbling quietly in a soothing way. This was obviously the best place to sleep, but Malik's stinging, tired eyes searched the dark for the second best. Bakura, in the meantime, observed the pattern on his back, noting with some annoyance that it spoke of a spotless pedigree. Oh, the _Egyptian mau_ was just too _good _for everyone, wasn't he?

A foot met Malik's back and he yelped, tumbling off the ledge with an uncharacteristic flail. He managed to land on his feet, but one gave way to the wet concrete below and he stumbled backward until he landed flat on his ass in the pool. Bakura was cackling overhead, clutching his stomach; Malik spluttered incredulously.

"Son of a _bitch!_"

"Sorry, sorry!" Bakura snickered, sounding anything but. "You looked like you needed a... push in the right direction, and I'm nothing if not a gracious host."

"Gracious- ugh, _fuck _you, Bakura." Malik spat, flicking his wet hair from his face with a sharp nod and grumbling something about not forgetting this. Bakura took the bait, rolling onto his belly and eyeing Malik devilishly.

"You know, we'd get along just fine if you _would_." Malik rolled his eyes. "There's plenty of room up here, whenever you decide to get the stick out of your ass."

"To make room for your limp dick?" The Egyptian scoffed. "No thanks."

Bakura shook his head from side to side, tutting. "Oh, Malik. _Sweet _little virgin, don't you ever wonder what you're missing?"

The Persian was absolutely delighted when Malik's eyes widened, and his posture drew inward. Oh, was that a _sore _spot he'd found?

"I know exactly what I'm missing," Malik hissed, "and there's not much to miss."

"You don't want to know what it's like to have a stud inside you?" Bakura purred, leaning his chin on folded hands, drinking in the Egyptian's discomfort. "To have him grab your hips and mount you. To have his teeth on your neck and feel his hot cum fill you?"

He was rewarded with a deep flush, even if it appeared to be one of anger. "_No._"

"Oh? It's what you're made for, Malik. Your body... your scent... they're _begging _for it."

"My mouth says no, but my eyes say yes, is it?" Malik snorted. "Regardless of the fact that I'm bitch to no one, especially not someone I could probably bench press"—Bakura huffed—_"_I wasn't born yesterday. I've met plenty of studs, always thinking they deserve the world on a platter... when they're capable of thought at all, that is." He was finally out of the water, wringing out the sopping linen that clung decadently to his thighs. "That's why you're so hung up on this, isn't it? Because I'm not giving you what's _rightfully _yours?"

"Ah, the difference there is that they _don't _deserve the world on a platter."

"And you do."

Snicker. "I do."

"Oh?" Malik peered up at him, arching a brow. "Why's that, if I may ask?"

"Because I'm _Bakura_." He grinned, delighted with the fact. "Love to hate me, hate to love me, fear me, want me, but you won't forget me. No one does. And you, Malik, my little _cactus _flower... _you _will _want_ me."

He gave the Egyptian a moment to protest; he didn't. Malik merely stared, so Bakura went on, "You may not have realized it yet, but that's no fault of mine; you're young, I suppose. When you get a little older, a little wiser, you'll get it... you'll never meet another stud like me, _anyone _like me... I'm superior, and I deserve superior things. If they're not given to me, I've got no qualms in taking them. It's just a fact of life." Bakura declared, and his grin widened, canines glinting. "You may understand the sentiment."

Malik just stared.

Then he grinned back.

"Maybe I do."

A sharp laugh. "Thought you might."

Malik laughed too, and he stepped out from the pool. "And... I may have misjudged you, _Bakura_."

A pleasant shiver ran down Bakura's spine at the decadent purr of his name."How so?"

The Egyptian approached the shelf, leaning up so that his fingertips and chin rested on the edge, gaze level with Bakura's, and he peered up through his wet fringe. Their faces were suddenly very close, and Bakura suppressed the knee-jerk reaction to retreat; in the dark, Malik's violet eyes were lidded and velvety, but they flashed all the same. Like a predator.

"I rather_ like _you_."_

* * *

Bakura snuck a glance at Malik, who was licking his claws clean for the twentieth time as he went about an agonizing display of fussiness with his breakfast. The Persian was uncharacteristically quiet, calculating in his mind as he had been both before he'd fallen asleep and after he'd woken up beside his perplexing new... companion. He hadn't even tried to make a pass after Malik's statement, he'd been so thrown off his game; _liked _him? Now, Bakura was never forgotten (as he'd said), but not often liked... people floundered at his razor wit, feared him, avoided him like the plague. Yugi was an exception, but he'd clearly sustained an injury to some important sector of his brain; the midget trusted everyone. And yet here was Malik—ice queenthat he obviously was—who had gone from trying to claw his eyes out to... sitting comfortably beside him, returning his suspicious glances with sly grins.

He didn't trust it. He wasn't Yugi.

"Is there something on my face?"

Bakura blinked. Then he scoffed, tearing a bite off his pork ribs and refusing to acknowledge that he'd been caught staring. It wasn't his fault, he hadn't slept well, thanks to a certain someone. Well, he wasn't one to beat around the bush, and as far as he was concerned the time for contemplation had passed. Now, action.

Malik was chewing away at his own ribs distastefully; he stopped when he felt Bakura creep closer. When the Persian was practically breathing down his neck, he resumed chewing, slower now, and swallowed before he turned.

"What are you doing?"

Bakura's face was mere inches from his, and he didn't seem too embarrassed about being caught. In fact, he simply leaned forward, pressing lips to his ear, parting them to lick his jaw. Instantly, Malik froze.

"Stop."

Bakura chose to ignore the command, despite the fact that there was not a breath of playfulness or coy indecision. The Egyptian was stronger, proud and a virgin; seducing him would be a Herculean task, and Bakura knew that he couldn't give up this easily if he meant to conquer it. So he gave him another long lick, enjoying the heady scent up close, watching the other's pulse quicken and jump in the elegant column of his neck. No, he wasn't going to give up so easily.

Malik leaned away, slowly and carefully as if he was dealing with something rabid. He kept his eyes on Bakura, forbidding, but the Persian merely stared back and followed. Malik appeared to be calculating in his mind, and Bakura didn't want to give him the opportunity, so the moment he had an opening he pounced, pinning the other to the ground.

The instant after he did so, he was on his back, staring up at Malik's wide eyes and wondering what had happened. The warm body that had been under his only a second earlier was now perched overhead, pinning him while keeping as little contact as possible. He huffed through his nose.

"Playing hard to get, are we?"

At the sound of his voice, the tension in Malik's body seemed to break, and his eyes lost their wild look. He shifted off of Bakura with a shuddering laugh.

"Call it whatever you want."

Bakura took a moment to re-assess the situation before he got up, following Malik to sit against the wall. "And exactly how long do you plan on continuing this little cocktease?"

"If cockteasing you means breathing and eating, probably a while." Malik snorted, eyeing the rest of his meal with disdain. "Do you want this?"

"You know what I want."

"Is that a no?"

Bakura's gaze shifted from Malik's face to his food, then back up, and then down again. He sighed in defeat and snatched the plate.

Malik snickered and watched Bakura dig into his meal with mild interest. The Persian was persistent, but not like others he'd encountered; once he gave up on this foolish mating business, he would be good company. It was just a shame that Bakura seemed to think the exact opposite of him... Bakura, in the meantime, felt the gaze and was all the more frustrated by it. He'd dealt with coquettish bitches in the past, ones that liked to be difficult just for difficulty's sake. He'd also dealt with ones that spooked so easily that they were practically in tears the moment he laid a finger on them. This, however, was the worst of both; resistant as he may be, Malik _was _teasing him. For most studs, that first smirk would have been invitation enough, and what the hell, he'd said he _liked _him! What had that meant, then? Bakura wasn't exactly fond of roles or rules or any combination of the two, but bitches and studs didn't act this way were not equals, they were not competitors... they were different, plain and simple. Malik, however, didn't seem to be getting it.

Bakura ripped off a bite. Oh, well. If the Egyptian wanted to be socially retarded, it wasn't his fault. He'd learn, the easy way or the hard way, and he was lucky Bakura had the patience to teach him... with the reward, of course, in mind. And he wasn't about to feel bad for the way Malik had looked at him, the wild and horrified purple eyes.

He swallowed.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent much the same way. Malik played with Bakura, Bakura took the bait, and Malik rebuffed him without a second thought. It was absolutely infuriating; a lesser stud would have been driven mad by the hot and cold act, only it wasn't an act. At some point Bakura realized—after having it hissed, spit and growled at him—that Malik genuinely did _not _want to be mated. This revelation had come to him when he'd managed to surprise the other while he was bathing in the pool, his nakedness robbing him of his supposed invulnerability. When he pounced, Bakura had anticipated some protest... he hadn't expected to be hurled onto his back and held underwater until his face turned blue. Thankfully, the sight seemed to appease the other's panic, and he'd let up.

_That was a bit overkill, wasn't it?_

The Egyptian hadn't seemed to think so, and had stalked off in a huff. After that incident, Bakura left him alone, and the two of them passed the remainder of the day stewing in their own indignation and wounded pride. It was this scene that greeted Yugi when he came in to give the felids their evening meal.

It took the caretaker a moment to locate the both of them; Bakura was easy enough, brilliantly white and lying on his shelf with a petulantly flicking tail. He'd been about to inquire on Malik, but the look on Bakura's face stopped him... fortunately, the enclosure wasn't large, and the Egyptian mau's sunset colors stood out against the glossy greens of the artificial tree in the far corner.

"Evening, Malik!" Yugi chirped, aware of the tension in the area but delighted to see his new charge all the same. The felid flashed him a huffy look, and turned his nose up dismissively. Yugi had to restrain himself from giggling; oh, he could see how these two may have had some difficulties getting along, he'd left two prima donnas to one stage.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?"

"No." Malik frowned. "I don't like meat."

"Oh," Yugi was a bit surprised, and withdrew the plate he'd been about to set down, stacked with ham steaks. "Huh, that's unusual."

"I guess," Malik rolled onto his back, flicking his tail. Yugi vaguely wondered what it was like to raise a teenager, before he turned in Bakura's direction, finding the Persian fixated on their interaction.

"Bakura? Do you want it?"

"Of course I do," Bakura snapped. "If the little _princess _is going to fuss with his food, I'll take it off his hands."

Yugi sighed, retreating from a hissing Malik to stand under a smirking Bakura. He stared up at the Persian, but his eyes appeared to be fixed on his 'companion' across the room.

"Be nice." Unsurprisingly, he wasn't acknowledged, so Yugi set both plates on the floor and waited for Bakura to come down for them. When he didn't immediately, the caretaker looked between his two charges, observing the crackling tension with an academic curiosity.

"Sooo...what happened?"

Bakura flicked his gaze to Yugi, if only to sneer down at him. "What happened is you brought me a goddamned _prude_. Thanks a bunch."

He'd thought it was something like that. "I'm guessing you didn't try and make nice."

"Oh, I tried,"—Malik scoffed at this from across the room—"he just didn't feel like making nice back. He'd rather spend all day _glaring_ at me."

A sharp laugh, drawing Yugi's attention. "I'd rather glare at you than get pounced on, yes."

"You pounced on him?" Bakura piqued a brow, daring Yugi to call him out on it. "I- Bakura, that's... don't do that!"

"He started it!" Yugi gave him a flat look. "Well, he tried to-urgh! Look, dwarf. I may be hard up, but when I start taking advice in courtship, it's not going to be from _you._"

This was a familiar conversation between them, but Yugi humored him with a wry smile. "Afraid you might learn something?"

"Ha!" The Persian barked. "Learn what? How to give head standing up?"

The blood rushed to Yugi's ears so quickly that he almost didn't hear the giggle from across the room. However, Bakura had, if the way his head and plush white ears shot up to attention were any indication.

There was a moment of silence, and Yugi glanced once more between the two felids. This time, Malik's gaze was flashing wickedness. Amusement. When he looked back, there was a broad grin on Bakura's face.

"Oh please, do impart _that _wisdom," Bakura went on, fiery eyed, "Must be convenient for you, especially with that Kaiba guy... or do you have to stand on your toes with him?"

Yugi's flush deepened and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but Malik cackled, and Bakura's grin widened.

"Perhaps you _should_ take tips from him, Bakura," Malik said silkily, "if he pounced, he'd probably be finished and lighting up a cigarette before I noticed. You could use that sort of stealth to your advantage."

"I certainly could, but where's the fun in that? That's not so much a lay as a hit and run."

"At least he made it to the 'hit' part," Malik said flippantly, batting his eyes at Bakura when he puffed up in indignation. The Egyptian smiled and turned to Yugi, who stiffened at the sight of his bared teeth. "Did you really though, human? I can't even imagine it."

"Uh... I, er, had a girlfriend, yes."

"A _girl_friend?!" Malik cackled. "As in, _girl_? Oh, that's priceless!"

"What's so funny about that?" Yugi huffed, immediately regretting it. Really, he knew better by now...

"Oh, it was a riot!" Bakura declared. "He came up to exactly teat height. Eye to nipple. I believe that's how he became so enamored of her winning personality, wasn't it?"

"She had a _great_ personality!"

"Yeah, a great big jiggling set of personalities."

Malik snickered. "Impressive! Really, Bakura, you might reconsider his offer, it sounds like he's a regular Don Juan. Had a girlfriend and everything. He may have even held her hand at some point."

"Oh, yes, I'd be _honored _to get some lessons from Yugi "Is it in yet?" Mutou!"

They were both cackling now, and Yugi decided that he'd had enough of his celebrity roast. Evidently the felids didn't notice, or if they did they didn't care, because they were still tossing insults even as he shut the door behind him. Strangely though, as he lingered by the closed door and listened to their muted, raucous laughter, he couldn't find the will to be angry.

In fact, he was smiling.

"Bakura, you old rascal."

* * *

Bakura was torn. The tension in the air had cleared, if only tentatively; Malik had laughed at his jokes, had joined in them. It would seem that the Egyptian thought about as much of Yugi as he did himself, and it was an unfamiliar joy to have someone to be nasty with. Though they'd tired of insulting their caretaker shortly after his hasty exit, the mood was warm now, and the glaring contest had been put on hold. Bakura observed Malik across the room and recalled the happy cruelty of the Egyptian's eyes as he'd watched their caretaker squirm... it sent a thrill up his neck.

But Bakura wasn't stupid. He'd been getting mixed signals from this finicky bitch all day, and he wasn't about to risk his neck so hastily. No, loathe as he was to admit it, he was going to have to handle this a bit more... _delicately _than he'd originally hoped. The Persian tore a chunk off his ham steak, eyes steeling with resolve; he didn't like waiting, but he was very, very good at it.

And suddenly Malik was touching down from his perch, coming toward Bakura. _Patience_. Just because Malik was approaching, didn't mean he was interested... but it also didn't mean he wasn't. Bakura turned to him with a cheeky smirk, one that he knew to be particularly handsome, and swallowed.

"To what do I owe the honor?"

Purple eyes glittered with mischief. "I'm hungry."

"What a surprise, you hardly picked at breakfast." Bakura shook his head, in the way parents do when their children are being ridiculous. "You want your dinner back, then? Is that it?"

"No," Malik crouched down, much closer than Bakura had expected him to, close enough to feel his body heat. He wasn't complaining. "Figured I'd try a little, though. It seems meat is all you neanderthals care to eat around here."

"Got to keep the protein up," Bakura waggled his eyebrows, and to his delight, Malik grinned. He felt himself grinning in return, and didn't even snarl when Malik reached for his plate. The Egyptian lifted off a slab of meat, appraising it. "Well, your majesty? Will it _do_?"

Malik rolled his eyes, but he was obviously amused. Bakura watched him dart his tongue out to taste the grisle around the edge. "Mm, not bad."

"His Highness is pleased. Fantastic."

"Very pleased," Malik lidded his eyes, and leaned in again to lick at his meal... though this time it was much slower. Languid, stretching his (unusually long, Bakura noticed) tongue along the browned edge with a salacious degree of control. Then he flicked his gaze back up to the Persian, and held it there, licking his lips.

Bakura blinked.

It occurred to him that maybe he was imagining things, that Malik wasn't still staring at him through heavy lashes as he bit into the steak; but the pheromones in the room had thickened in a matter of seconds, and he was fairly sure he wasn't responsible for it. He stared back, not daring to make the first move, as the air grew hot around his neck.

Malik swallowed and smiled.

"Mmm... tasty."

With that, he set the steak back down, and got to his feet. Bakura watched, transfixed, as he stretched out his muscular back a bit too purposefully, showing off the pattern of his fine breeding. Resisting the urge to give chase, Bakura's gaze followed the Egyptian, who may have been swaying his hips just a bit more than usual as he sauntered towards the small pool. Once at its edge Malik bent over, the fabric of his makeshift loincloth pulled taut over the firm curve of his ass... he wetted his claws and straightened, inspecting their impeccable onyx sheen with a critical eye. It would seem he found some fault in the claw of his index finger, because he drew it into his mouth, pursed his lips around it, and sucked it clean. Slowly.

Bakura didn't breathe.

Malik drew his finger out of his mouth, just as slow, and turned to meet his eyes.

In an instant the Persian was off the ground, stalking towards his prey. Fuck delicacy, and _fuck _waiting, and bless the dark gods because it would seem that Malik wasn't as much of a curse as he'd thought. All it had taken was a few smart remarks, a mutual hatred, and the Egyptian was ready to bend over like a good little bitch? Cheap, but _fantastic_. Purple eyes followed his approach, no sign of retreat in them, and...was that desire? Of course it was, and Bakura felt the grin stretch the full width of his face.

When he was less than a foot from Malik, the pheromones were unbearable, spiced and dangerously heady. Bakura's cock stirred to life—for the first time in ages, but he wasn't about to cheer about it right now. He had more important things to do, and they were smiling at him, lips gleaming with saliva.

Not bothering to retract his claws, Bakura lifted his hand to Malik's face, drawing his thumb across the shining wetness on his lower lip. It was soft, _so _soft, velvet under his touch; Malik's eyes lidded, and his lips parted as his smile fell away, a look of poorly masked desperation taking its place. It was a look Bakura hadn't even imagined on the other's haughty face, one that he inwardly crowed over, delighted with his own prowess. When he drew even nearer, Malik's entire stance seemed to melt into him, firm, warm body eager to meet his own, burning at every point of contact. It would seem that the contact was affecting Malik just as much, because his own hand came up to trace Bakura's jawline and then down his neck, eyes fixed there as if in a daze. Their movements were so measured, so sensual that Bakura wondered if Malik always seduced this way... and then he recalled that the other was a virgin. The thought twitched in his cock, pulsing against Malik's thigh and drawing his gaze. When the Egyptian looked back up, his lip was caught coyly between his teeth.

Bakura went in for the kill.

He felt the other's hot mouth open for his, his breath against him, and the irrepressible heat of his body, thrumming with lust.

And then he was shoved, and he was on his back in the pool.

Malik was roaring with laughter, probably doubled over, but Bakura couldn't see very well through the suddenly soaked curtain of his hair. The shock of having knocked off his feet and of being in the water hit him all at once, and he yowled in fury. Had he really... the _nerve... _ugh! Bakura's glare was positively poisonous, deadly, but it didn't keep Malik from laughing. If anything, his indignation humored the Egyptian even more, and as he hefted himself out of the pool Bakura could imagine no sound more irritating than Malik's laughter.

"You _bitch!_"

"Fair's fair, Bakura!"

Malik was still cackling as Bakura stalked past, intent on spending the rest of the evening on his shelf, taking back every gratitude he'd given, and rueing the fates all over again. Most of all, he intended to glare at Malik until his eyes were sore.

And that's exactly what he did.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: THIS CHAPTER almost killed me but hey at least all the backstory has been taken care of. Yes you need backstory with your catboy fanfic what

Reviewers, thanks for reviewing, as always. The fact that one of you had a dream about this fic literally made me roll around in delight.

Chapter 3

"Oh, come now Bakura, quit being a baby."

A snarl, and Malik rolled his eyes, though he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from twitching up. So he was still angry about the little stunt Malik had pulled last night... well, the Egyptian wasn't about to feel guilty about it. Fair _was _fair... and even if it hadn't been, he wasn't often prone to feeling guilty about his misdeeds, anyway. So, with a barely concealed snort, Malik turned onto his side and settled in for a light nap. Once his breathing had evened out, and only then, did Bakura cease his glaring. Huffing, he settled onto his back, though he didn't feel like napping.

Humans were incredibly obtuse about a lot of things, Bakura thought.

Take Yugi, for example. The little caretaker had thrust Malik into his environment, all luscious and bronze, with zero regard to the difficulty Bakura would have in trying to mate him. And he refused to believe that the human had _really_ thought he wouldn't try... not even Yugi was that naive. Nonetheless, he'd wrapped Malik in a dainty scrap of linen, tossed him in, and single-handedly turned the Persian's comfortable little world into a cockblocking nightmare. To make matters worse, he was acting as if _Bakura _was the one out of line! Obtuse was being kind, and Bakura wasn't known for his kindness; _flat-out stupid, _he thought with a sneer.

He'd certainly been less than kind to his last owner. Oh, the sweet old lady thought it would be simply _precious _if she got a stud that was so physically similar to her bitch that they could have passed for littermates. _Just like twins, oh, don't they make a darling pair! _How could that have possibly seemed like a good idea? Bakura certainly didn't know, and it had been a disaster from day one. The bitch, Ryou, had been a pleasant looking Angora with an easy-going demeanor and an infuriating immunity to Bakura's taunts. That much, Bakura could have dealt with... the fact that they were almost _exactly _the same size was a harder pill to swallow.

He had been cruel to Ryou. He'd been awful, making snide remarks, petty jokes, generally trying to break him down mentally. He truly had no other way to assert his tenuous dominance, as the little old lady would swat at him with a broom when he tried to get physical with her precious baby. Since attacking a human was a good way to end up euthanized, Bakura had practically chewed threw his tongue restraining himself with her. Seeing as he couldn't take his brewing hostility out on the old hag, it naturally fell on Ryou... who took it all in stride, admirably. Unfortunately, the Angora's unshakeable good spirits only made Bakura feel as though he wasn't being taken seriously, his meanness escalating even further to compensate for it. And as he found he could get away with more and more, the worse Bakura got... soon, the old lady was frightened of him, and Ryou had more or less given him free reign of the house. Oh, the sweet old bag regretted her folly all right, Bakura saw to that. In fact, he could still have been lording over her and Ryou, living in the lap of relative luxury to this very day... had he not made that little... mistake.

Bakura recalled that day with a cringe; it still stung his pride. He'd been particularly nasty that day, riding on the high of his newfound power, and when the old lady had reprimanded him he'd taken a swipe at her. It was nothing serious, barely breaking the skin; she'd screamed, though, and Ryou had taken it _very _seriously. The Angora had tackled him to the ground, and as Bakura struggled under him, wondering how he'd suddenly ended up there and why he couldn't throw his unexpected attacker off, his worst fear had been affirmed... their strength was truly equal. The realization had sent a numbness through his body that went all the way to his to his toes. He'd been so unsettled that the moment Ryou had gotten off to check on the old lady he'd pounced, biting all the way through the Angora's hand and drawing a hilarious amount of blood. Ah, the old lady's screams were music to his ears; the rolling pin to the head had been a bit less enjoyable. The next thing he'd known, he was waking up fuzzy-headed in the enclosure that had since become his home. And now, with the addition of the little Egyptian tart...

...He was a disaster waiting to happen all over again.

Bakura shook away his musings with a scowl, and got up, hopping down from his perch. Not bothering with stealth, he stalked across the enclosure and over to Malik's little sanctuary, his artificial baobab tree. After a moment of observing the Egyptian's lazy, sleeping form, Bakura rooted himself to the spot and folded his arms over his chest. He would stand here until the force of his stare literally awakened the other from his light slumber, because this time, he was through with playing around. This time, he meant to be taken seriously.

Somewhat surprisingly, it didn't take very long, and soon the Egyptian was stretching languidly, fixing him with an amused look.

"Something on your mind, Bakura?"

"Come down."

Bakura's expression was steeled and serious, and his tone was commanding in a way Malik hadn't heard yet. It intrigued him; mostly, though, it brought out his rebellious side.

"Why?"

"I want you."

"...This is hardly news."

Bakura didn't miss a beat, and if he was frustrated he didn't let it show. "Come down, and let me have you. It's going to happen one way or another."

"Oh is it?" At the Persian's cold stare, Malik's expression lost its humor, and he straightened up. This game was no fun if he was the only one playing it. "You may have noticed, but I'm _stronger _than you. So why don't you take your little intimidation-"

"I've had enough of your teasing." Bakura's fingers curled in, threatening fists. "I'll come up there if I have to, but I'm fucking you. _Now_."

Malik blinked. More than a little affronted at being interrupted, he narrowed his eyes and scoffed.

"Did you hit your head or something?"

When it was clear that Bakura had no intention of answering, Malik settled back onto his stomach, chin resting on his hand with his shining claws extended. "Very well then, I'll make this simple for you. I said _no_. And I'm going to keep saying no, so why don't you be a good little kitty and let me sleep..."

Before the Egyptian could settle back to lie down, Bakura had turned away and started making his way up to the perch.

"Woah!" Purple eyes flashed, wide. _"Hey!"_

Again, he received no response, and Bakura was unexpectedly quick; he was up the tree in an instant, hoisting himself up onto the perch before Malik could do much more than scramble backward. Terror creeping into his eyes, the Egyptian kicked at him. He missed his snowy head by a hair, and in the next second Bakura was on top of him, forcing his weight against him, glaring into his eyes.

The scent of arousal was stifling.

With a snarl, Malik threw his own weight against Bakura, intent on knocking him off of both himself and his perch. The move was effective but Bakura had anticipated it, catching hold of Malik's wrist before he fell. This sent them both toppling over the edge, and they hit the floor with none of the grace of their feline genetics.

"You _idiot!_" Malik snapped, rubbing the back of his head as the room spun._ "_That hurt!"

Bakura didn't miss a beat. Refusing to acknowledge the yowl of protest, he secured his grip around Malik's upper arms, and wrapped a leg over his hips, pinning him. The hold could be broken at any second, so Bakura took the opportunity to lean up and nip at his ear.

As if by instinct, Malik froze.

Encouraged, Bakura parted his teeth, lapping at the shallow bite. The effect of Malik's scent up close like this was as distracting as ever, but as he licked, Bakura's own scent mixed with the Egyptian's... a heady combination.

He liked it.

It would seem that Malik did too. Struggles ceased, his breath hitched and his hips unconsciously rose to meet his attacker's. Bakura felt the tremor go through the other's body, and sank his teeth into the tender flesh of his ear. When Malik jerked as if to escape, Bakura dug in harder, drawing a choked groan from the other's throat.

"F-ffuck..."

Malik wriggled half-heartedly, but Bakura merely shifted his head down to lap at his neck, tongue pressed hot over his racing pulse. At this point, they both knew that he could bite down; grudgingly, Malik stilled. Bakura rewarded him by dragging his teeth lightly down the arch of his neck, inwardly grinning when he felt the other shudder.

"Bakura," Malik hissed.

"Be quiet."

At the threat of teeth on his jugular, Malik bitterly obeyed. Arms still pinned and torso twisted uncomfortably, he could do no more than clench his jaw when Bakura's leg tightened around his own, securing his hold. This brought his thin hips flush up against Malik's ass, and the sensation sent a wave of heat rolling down both of them, choking the air with pheromones. Bakura clutched Malik even tighter, grinding his hips purposefully until Malik could feel the firm curve of Bakura's cock. Bakura felt Malik's heat in return; there were only two thin layers of fabric separating them from eachothers' sex, and they were both very aware of the fact.

Bakura decided to do something about it.

The moment his claws had curled into the fabric of Malik's loincloth the other tensed; he yelped when it was torn away. Bakura had only a moment to admire the other's bare form before Malik's newly released arm swung at him, catching him on the side of the face. The blow barely registered, and as Malik struggled to get out from under him Bakura thrust his full weight downward, scrabbling to get a hold around his arms again and pinning the Egyptian with his entire body now. This hold was even more tenuous than the first... but Malik's naked ass was bared to Bakura, that _heat_ was so _close_, and anything else hardly seemed important at the moment. In one desperate motion he shucked his pants halfway down his thighs, freeing his already hard cock. He felt Malik's muscles tense up, and before he could be shoved away, Bakura ground his hips against him, forcing him to feel exactly what the Persian had to offer. Skin to skin, so very, very hot... Bakura was on top of Malik, he had him pinned, naked, face pressed into the ground.

He had mounted him.

This realization seemed to hit them both at the same time, because just as the current of arousal ran through Bakura's body a wash of terror ran through Malik's. There was only an insulted yowl as warning before Bakura was tossed off, too startled to maintain his hold, and tackled by the very naked Egyptian. At the latent realization that he'd been denied _again_, Bakura matched his fury, and the two of them started an all-out brawl. They hissed and spat, clawing at eachother, with Malik seemingly all the more vicious to make up for his nakedness. He ended up on top of Bakura, arms wrapped around his chest and claws piercing his neck and side. Bakura was blinded by his own mess of hair, belly to the ground, snarling in frustration and wriggling to get out of the infuriating stranglehold. It was all too close to the one he'd had Malik in, the one he wanted to get him in again so badly he could taste it. Ready to abandon this foolishness and get back on top, Bakura bucked himself upward... unintentionally, he'd pressed his own ass right into Malik's crotch. It didn't register to him at first; Malik, however, paused.

Then, tentatively, he bucked his hips back.

Bakura's eyes went wide.

The unholy _shriek _from the Persian shocked Malik so much that he was easily thrown off and tackled; rather than attempt to mount him, though, it seemed that Bakura now intended to shred him to pieces. This suited Malik just fine, and with a roar he pushed the other off, pouncing on him with claws bared.

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay to keep them together like that?"

"Oh, they're okay," Yugi assured his companion with a wry smile as they stepped into the lobby of the shelter, bell dinging overhead. "You know, they kinda like eachother."

"Oh." Jounouchi nodded, following his little friend past the counter. Yugi turned around and waggled his eyebrows. "Oh! _Ohhhhh. _I gotcha." The blonde grinned, closing the short gate behind him that led to the hallway and backrooms. "Now I _really _wanna see."

"Jou!" Yugi snickered. "That's so gross!"

"I'm just kidding, chill." Jounouchi was still grinning, but Yugi merely rolled his eyes, leading him back past the exam room. Jounouchi wasn't as much a fan of felids as he was—he thought they were weird, and didn't see much charm in Bakura—but Yugi's excitement over the new addition had rubbed off on him. After assuring his friend that he couldn't be attacked from the observation room, Yugi had invited him to come and see the felids before their evening meal.

The sight that greeted them, however, wasn't exactly what Yugi had planned.

"Oh shit!" He yelped, scrambling for the intercom mic. Jounouchi, however, looked on in wonder at what appeared to be a white and brown mass of hissing claws rolling around on the ground below. Moments later, his friend's voice echoed behind the plexiglass of the observation window. "Bakura! Malik! Stop!"

If they heard his command, they didn't acknowledge it. Cursing desperately, Yugi shoved Jounouchi aside to reach a large red button. A blaring alarm filled the room, sending Jou's hands to his ears, though Yugi just stared on, panic-eyed.

They weren't stopping.

"I have to go down there," Yugi babbled, flapping his hands. "Oh shit oh shit oh shit..." His eyes lit up, and he nearly knocked his friend over darting towards a cabinet on the wall, where he retrieved what appeared to be a sniper rifle.

"Woah! Isn't that a little extreme?"

"It's a tranq!" Yugi barked, scrambling to load the thing. "I gotta get down there Jou, if anything happens to me call-"

"Hold on, Rambo," Jounouchi grabbed him before he could trip down the stairs, "I'm coming too!"

* * *

For all their fury, Malik and Bakura were absolutely adorable unconscious.

Yugi was a surprisingly good shot, and after a few moments of confused blinking, the felids had slumped against eachother in a boneless daze. For a bit the caretaker stayed still, as if expecting Malik and Bakura to leap up and tackle eachother again; when they didn't, he motioned to Jounouchi, who nodded and crept over to the unconscious felids.

"Oof!" He grunted, hefting Malik up by the underarms. "You got that one, Yugi?"

"Erng-" Yugi attempted to do the same with Bakura, but the Persian's dead weight was a little cumbersome. "-Yeah, I got him. You can leave Malik, actually."

Jounouchi nodded, dropping the Egyptian to the floor with a thud. Yugi cringed. "You want some help?"

"Please," Yugi let Jounouchi take Bakura under the arms, and moved to grab his ankles. "We're just gonna move him back there, to the kennel."

Jounouchi followed Yugi's gaze, and spotted the small, barred off area in one of the far corners. It looked to be about four feet tall and six feet wide; as they reached it and Yugi went to unlock the bars, he could see that it was also not very deep. Comfortable for a large dog, but a bit of a squeeze for Bakura. Mean as he was, though, Jounouchi didn't have much trouble dragging the Persian to his fate. "Couple days in here oughta straighten him out."

"Couple—Jou, he's not being punished," Yugi said, wide-eyed.

"You think the other one started it?"

Yugi shook his head. _If anyone's to blame, it's me..._ He ducked down to back into the kennel, noting guiltily that it was a little cramped even for him. Once Bakura was all the way inside they dumped him, both a bit anxious to get out of the space before he came to.

* * *

"Malik, please don't do that."

Yugi swallowed sharply when the Egyptian's furious gaze flicked up to him, daring him to speak again, before Malik went back to licking tartly at a wound on his inner arm. Yugi had been trying to get him to stop doing that since he'd awoken, as he was licking off the antibacterial ointment that had been applied in his sleep... but the felid seemed intent on disobeying him, no matter the cost to his own health. Sighing, Yugi relented, and set Malik's dinner down a few feet away.

"What's that?"

"Um, rice," Yugi answered hesitantly. The way Malik was eyeing the bowl didn't seem promising.

"..." Malik looked from him to the bowl, and back. "Am I on a diet?"

"No, I just... I only have meat, really..."

"Oh, what a _shock_," Yugi and Malik both turned to the kennel, where Bakura's seething growl had come from. Though little more could be seen of him than the vague outline of his hunched over form, he looked absolutely venomous. "His _Highness _is displeased with something. Maybe if he wasn't such a fussy little _cunt__-_"

There was a sharp, undignified squawk as Jounouchi went at him with a spray bottle.

This particular disciplinary tool had been left on the shelf for a while, but Jounouchi seemed to find it both practical and hilarious, so he'd deigned it his weapon of choice when he'd agreed to accompany Yugi back into the enclosure. Sure enough, Bakura's yowl left the blonde in a fit of snickers.

"Jou..."

"What? He was getting aggressive."

"I'll show you _aggressive_, you shaved gorillaaARGH!"

Bakura struck his head the instant he'd sprung up to his feet, and he shrank back into the kennel with a low, angry sound. Yugi swallowed guiltily when Jounouchi broke into peals of laughter, and put on his sorriest expression as he approached the bars of the kennel.

"Here's your dinner, Bakura," he mumbled, "it's your favorite..."

"Piss off, I'm not hungry."

Yugi cringed, but set the plate down all the same. It was a T-bone steak, cooked bloody, that he'd been saving for a special occasion. But Bakura wouldn't even look at it.

"Are you serious?" Jounouchi gawked. "Man, are they always this picky?"

Yugi muttered noncommitally.

"Hey," Jounouchi grinned, "if he doesn't want it, I'll take it off his hands-"

A rabid snarl from Bakura stopped the blonde mid crouch. He leapt back like he'd been bitten, edging towards Yugi. "Fine, fine, it's yours! Yeesh!"

Bakura grunted, finally eyeing the steak. To Yugi's dismay, he turned up his nose. Jounouchi scoffed.

"What a charmer. Can't imagine why you're having a hard time getting laid," he grumbled, "c'mon, Yugi, let's bounce."

"Okay," Yugi sighed, turning to follow his friend out of the forbidding atmosphere of the enclosure. He passed Malik with an apologetic glance, but the Egyptian merely huffed. If possible, Yugi shrank even more.

"Man, I'm hungry now. You want a pizza? I could go for some pizza."

"Sounds good..."

"Hey, cheer up, it's not your fault. If they wanna act like a couple of spoiled housecats, that's their deal." Jounouchi scoffed, mumbling under his breath. "Turning down a steak dinner, fuckin' ridiculous..."

His musings were cut short when something struck the back of his head with a wet, sloppy _thwack. _It sent him stumbling forward, yelping angrily, blonde hair tossed all in his face and dripping. After a moment of shock, Yugi realized that he'd been hit with the steak (now laying on the ground), and turned to see Bakura grinning wickedly behind his bars.

"What?" He snickered. "He said he wanted it!"

Jounouchi cursed, shaking the juices from his hair. Yugi winced as they splattered his shirt.

"Who's picky now, ape? Bahahaha!"

"C'mon, Jou," Yugi begged, shoving at his chest as the blonde hollered threats at the laughing Persian. "Pizza, right? Let's go get some pizza..."

Even after the door had slammed shut, Bakura was still laughing, and Jou's caterwalling could be heard all the way down the hall.

_Oh, that was rich... _Bakura smirked to himself, reclining back in his small, dark space. _I needed that. _

It was only then that he realized that his steak was now across the room.

His smirk fell.

Fine. So he'd had to make a small sacrifice, it was well worth it to see the blonde neanderthal stagger around spitting. He'd never liked that particular human, and it was _not _the day to test his patience. It was already humiliating enough to wake up in the tiny kennel, but the spray bottle was absolutely the last straw. Especially with Malik there...

Bakura's gaze slid from his steak to the Egyptian, who was turned away, chewing slowly at his tasteless meal. He seemed to be avoiding him; so much the better. There wasn't a lot Bakura could do from the kennel, and even if he wasn't confined he wouldn't be trying anything anyway. This last stab at courtship had been... discouraging.

He hadn't meant to lose his cool. Not only had he likely scared Malik off, he'd also shown vulnerability. The latter stung him much more; Bakura's pride had been his lifeline as long as he could remember, the one constant in his life. He could have shook Malik, laughed off his little play at dominance... but he hadn't. He'd panicked. Oh, he'd _had _him, he'd had the Egyptian pinned, bare and ready...

Bakura groaned, turning his back to the enclosure. The wall seemed more welcoming.

Oh, pride. His friend and foe, it had gotten him in trouble again. His mind wandered unbidden to the memory of being smothered under Ryou, feeling his strength and unable to do anything but match it... it had been pride, then, that had made him attack. Being under Malik, on the other hand, had been bearable on its own—the Egyptian _was _stronger, and there was no contesting that—but the feeling of dread, of absolute helplessness when he'd realized he was the one being mounted... Bakura shuddered.

"You want it, don't you?"

Malik's voice, and the odd statement, caused Bakura to turn abruptly. When had he approached? He'd been awfully quiet about it, sheepish even. But his posture was haughty as ever, chin raised, back straight. Bakura sat up in return, folding his arms over his chest.

"Want _what?_"

Malik bent over to set Bakura's steak, which he'd been dangling awkwardly, down on his plate. The Persian's pupils dilated just a bit at the sight of it, and his stomach growled, bringing a little smirk to Malik's lips.

"Thought you might," he said, rising from his crouch. Bakura eyed him, suspicious of this small kindness, and even more suspicious when he settled down beside the mouth of the kennel, leaning against the wall with a dramatic sigh.

A silence followed. Then, Bakura crept forward, eyes still glued on Malik, and snatched the steak up. He tore through it in less than a minute, and when he looked back up, he met wide, startled purple eyes.

"What?"

"That was... disgusting."

"I'm sorry, did I forget to hold my pinky out?"

Malik rolled his eyes, and silence fell again. When he spoke, it was in a low tone. Conspiratory.

"He's a prick," he murmured, "that human."

Bakura blinked. Something about that tone drew him forward; it wasn't particularly quiet, but... intimate. Like they were sharing secrets. "Jou."

"He wouldn't have talked so big if you weren't locked up," Malik said lightly, "people like that... ugh. Useless." He huffed and rested his elbows on his knees, looking out at the little pond. "And I don't like that cage."

That startled Bakura a bit. "I'm not terribly fond of it either, but I don't see how it affects _you_."

"It just-" Malik's lip curled, and his eyes narrowed. It was a look Bakura hadn't seen on him before. "It does, okay? We're already kept as pets, trussed up, ogled at... I don't see why our dignity needs to be taken down any further."

"Dignity?" Bakura scoffed bitterly. "We _are _pets, my little ingenue. Or didn't they tell you that, wherever you came from?"

"Where _I _came from," the curl of Malik's lip intensified, a dark contortion in his handsome face, "we were nothing more than a profit."

"And where was that?"

Purple eyes turned to meet Bakura's, stormy, "...Have you ever heard of a breeding mill?"

Bakura felt his jaw clench, but if he looked uncomfortable, Malik didn't notice, because he went on.

"I don't know what you've heard, but... it was... there was no space. No light. It smelled... _awful_, and it was so _hot." _The Egyptian sneered again, muscles tightening in his arms. "They gave us shots to keep us muscular, but food? Hardly. Too _messy_."

"Did you eat eachother?"

The question had come out of nowhere, and was hardly sensitive, but Bakura didn't often play at sensitivity. Malik, however, didn't miss a beat.

"Did we eat eachother..." He pondered it, squinting. "...no, I don't think so. Maybe it happened. It was so dark..."

He blinked.

Then he eyed Bakura, almost suspicious. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

The Persian met his gaze.

_Neither do I._

"Go on."

Malik regarded him for a moment. Once he seemed to come to a decision, he turned away again. "...As I said, it was dark. But crowded. You couldn't move without brushing up on someone, and the studs..." He chuckled darkly. "...the studs would get _horny. _That was always a real fucking treat. Believe me when I say you're not the first I've fought off."

Bakura leaned forward a bit."Why _did _you fight them off?"

"What was I supposed to do, bend over and take it?" Malik sneered. "Let me tell you something, my whole life was being forced into shit I didn't want. Every so often there would be a human snatching me, taking me to a room, weighing me, taking measurements, _pawing _at me with those awful-smelling gloves..." His nose wrinkled up just a bit, as if the scent was still there. "...they measured my dick, just reached down and grabbed it. People pay more for that, you know. Big dicks."

"...I suppose they would." Bakura swallowed, leaning back. "I can't imagine you sitting still for that."

"Sitting _still?_" Malik laughed. "They beat the hell out of me every time, but I always fought. They called me 'behavioral'. It 'devalued' me." He snickered again, and it left a little smile on his lips. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to be free."

Bakura studied his profile. "You made your grand escape then, did you?"

Malik rolled his eyes. "Yeah, some escape... it was nice while it lasted. I hid in a ship, you know, have you ever seen a ship?" He turned to Bakura, a brightness in his eyes. "They're huge. And the ocean..."

He turned away, and fell quiet.

Again, Bakura's gaze followed his profile. Malik was... beautiful, really. Unguarded as he was in this moment, he was still beautiful. So proud, and so regal... how he had come to be that way, to hold himself that way, was an anomaly. Given his upbringing, it would make more sense if he'd turned out a cowering mess, or a mindless drone...

Bakura sighed.

"You don't like being controlled."

Malik eyed him. "I don't."

"You like being in control."

"Bingo."

"Well, fuck." Bakura fell back, arms still folded over his chest even as he glared up at the ceiling of his tiny prison. "Just my luck. Another unmateable bitch. I swear, if my line ends with me, the gods will cry over it. These looks, these brains? Then you'll all be sorry..."

"...Another?" That detail wasn't lost on Malik, who grinned. "I'll bet there's a story there."

Bakura hadn't realized he'd let that slip, but he couldn't restrain the twitch at his lips. "No."

"Oh, come on." Malik snickered, leaning forward. "I spun you my whole tragic tale, you can give a little more than that."

"I don't see why I should," Bakura sniffed, "and I don't recall _asking _for your tragic tale, either."

"Ass." Malik huffed, though he was still smirking. "You should feel honored. I've never told it to anyone else."

Though the statement was light, the sentiment was not. It was an admission of trust_, _and it sent a buzz through Bakura's body, a warning that he ignored."I... the last bitch was big too, all right? Let's leave it at that."

"Ohh, no, this is already good."

"Stuff it."

"I'll get it out of you one day."

The Persian lifted his snowy head a bit, meeting Malik's eyes. They were wicked, delighting in his misfortune, but so very interested. And though he grinned openly, Bakura would have rather torn his own eyes out than admit to himself how that interest made him feel.

"The hell you will."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I still don't own Yugioh. Reviews are still the wind beneath my wings.

If anyone is wondering what Malik and Bakura are wearing, I'm imagining Bakura in like an old-timey swimsuit type of a number and Malik in bike shorts and a cropped muscle tee. I didn't mention this in the story because that would involve explaining why Yugi would dress them like that which is a road I do not want to travel

CHAPTER 4

_Beeeeep... Beeeeep..._

"_Yugi._"

"Kaiba! How are you?"

"_Fine. The secretary said you had a request._"

"Um, yeah, kind of." Yugi scratched at his cheek. "How's business?"

"_It's... good._"

"That's good." He chuckled, sensing his friend's palpable impatience. "I'm... calling about the budget."

"_What do you need?_"

"It's Malik. He's fussing with his food."

"_The Egyptian mau?_" The rich squeal of leather as Kaiba reclined his chair, resigning himself to conversation._ "He's fussed with it the past eight months, hasn't he?_"

"Yeah, but he's going into heat."

"..._Oh, really?"_

Yugi snickered. "Yes, really."

"_Well then. Get whatever you need. I told you already, you don't need to call me for this._"

Yugi rolled his eyes. He knew that Kaiba would rather toss money around than speak on the phone, but he still felt the need to ask permission when raising his expenses. "Thank you, Kaiba. You know it means a lot to me."

"_Hrm, yes, well..." _Yugi stifled a giggle. "_...heat, huh? Are they going to mate?_"

Yugi paused.

"...It's uh... hard to say."

* * *

Bakura cackled in delight, ignoring Malik's insulted yowl.

"Bakura! What the hell!"

The Persian flashed a grin upward, towards his companion, whose every hair stood on end in righteous fury. "Is there a problem?"

Malik tried to swipe at Bakura, but from the height of his favorite perch, he only managed to catch a few white hairs. "Quit pissing on my tree, you twat!"

Bakura gave another wry smirk, shaking off before tucking himself back into his shorts. "I was just about done anyway."

Malik snarled low in his throat, anger coloring his cheekbones. He twitched his nose just a bit. "Ugh, it smells like-like _you!_"

"As it should!" Bakura stood tall, grinning from ear to ear. "Get used to it, this is all my territory now. Including you, o fickle one."

"You know damn well that this is _my _tree."

"And you know damn well that you're _my _bitch. Don't bother deny-" He was cut off as Malik pounced, sending them both rolling on the ground, wrestling to get on top. Normally, such a jab would have been laughed off or dismissed with a roll of purple eyes, but Bakura's claim had gained considerable weight in the last week.

This was, of course, because of Malik's heat.

It was his first heat, and he wasn't exactly handling it gracefully. Though he was still adamant on his decision to remain unmated, he couldn't deny his impulses, which had reduced him to a groaning, wanton mess more times than he'd have liked to admit. Assaulted with almost constant arousal, Malik had debased himself to stroking against anything he could find, his tree more often than not... It drove Bakura absolutely mad. To make matters worse Malik continued to fight him off, even when he'd caught the Egyptian eyeing him, pupils dilated and legs spread, thighs shaking with want. Any reasonable mammal would've considered this an invitation to mate—but no, Malik fought twice as ferociously when he was horny. Which was often, because on top of the heat a certain stud had taken to marking his scent all over the place as soon as he'd acquired the ability to do so. Whether the scent had brought on the heat, or the heat had brought on the marking, was anyone's guess... but it wasn't too much of a stretch to assume that Malik and his hyperactive pheromones had started the whole mess. So really, he had no one to blame but himself.

...As Bakura had informed him, several dozen times.

True to form, Malik's eyes were lidded and his lips parted, even as he shoved Bakura violently into the astroturf. After taking a moment to regain his a breath, he groaned. "It smells like _you..._"

"Yes, you mentioned that."

"Everything!..." his eyes squeezed shut, as if he was in pain, and he collapsed onto his back, arching sinfully. Bakura's own nose was assaulted by a wave of Malik's scent, but he knew better than to climb on top of the Egyptian, prone though he may be. "Everywhere! It smells like you _everywhere_!"

"Just about," Bakura conceded, grinning cheekily and rolling onto his side. "I believe there's still a corner or two I haven't marked yet."

"Well, by all means, don't hesitate on mybehalf!" Malik huffed, getting up on his elbows. "Why don't you just mark the ceiling while you're at it?"

"Why, Malik, I'm beginning to think that my scent is affecting you," Bakura crooned, leaning on his own elbows to gaze at the scowling Egyptian.

Malik merely grunted in response, getting up and stepping gingerly over Bakura, whipping the Persian's nose with his tail. He _hated_ getting horny. It muddled his senses and sharpened them in all the worst ways. He could smell Bakura as if the other was on top of him, breathing down his neck; every brush against his skin left a tingle that begged for more. He was constantly distracted, overstimulated... and once he started getting aroused, there was really no stopping it. Which is why, as he leaned up against the wall, his back arched into it, drawing a breathy moan from his throat.

Bakura's full attention was on him immediately, making Malik groan again, though not for the same reason. The Persian was on his feet in seconds, sidling up to his companion with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

"It _is _affecting you, isn't it?"

Malik rolled his shoulders against the smooth, artificial trunk, eyes sliding shut; he slid up and down a few inches, relishing the friction against his hypersensitive body. Before he'd realized it, he was purring decadently, a sound that Bakura had grown accustomed to hearing over the past week. It was a nice sound.

"Maaaalik..."

"What."

Bakura scanned him up and down, the gracefully arched back, the small, pert nipples that drew his eye, the flush of heat that seemed to make the Egyptian glow. It was certainly a welcome image, one that drew several lurid scenarios to mind. Bakura slid a bit closer. "You look warm."

He reached out to brush along Malik's tense jaw with his claws, only to receive a warning hiss. The sharp sound dissolved as Malik's lips pressed together, barely stifling a hum of pleasure. Encouraged, Bakura drew his fingertips down Malik's neck, leaning closer to whisper into his ear.

"I can help, you know."

Grunt.

Lips parting in a grin, Bakura let his fingers curl upward, scratching delicately under the Egyptian's jaw. "Say the word, Malik."

He only heard it because he was so close, but it was there... a tiny, wanting whimper.

Malik's eyes snapped open, and he was flushed scarlet as he shoved Bakura violently.

"I'm taking a bath."

"Of _course _you are!" Bakura huffed as Malik stalked past him. "Damn you, now I'm horny too."

"Cry me a river, Bakura."

They squabbled for a bit, Bakura trailing after Malik towards the pool before a sharp beeping startled them both, making their ears stand up. Sure enough, the door slid open moments later, and their caretaker stepped in with a sheepish smile.

"Hey guys, um," Yugi wasn't expecting the full attention of both felids, but he supposed it _was_ a little odd for him to come in between meals. He'd been doing it more often lately, though, with Malik's... condition, and all. "I'm just checking in."

They eyed him suspiciously, before Bakura stomped off to stew under Malik's perch, and the Egyptian leaned back against the tree, licking at his arm as if to clean off the Persian's smell.

"Good morning, Bakura." Yugi nodded to him, before turning to the Egyptian. "How are you feeling today, Malik?"

"Hot," he replied sourly, "it's hot. Can't you turn the heat down?"

"I..." Malik arched an eyebrow, alerting Yugi to choose his words carefully. "I...'ll see what I can do. Just in case, I'm gonna check your temperature..."

Resigning, Malik shook back his bangs and allowed Yugi to place a hand on his forehead. Indeed, the Egyptian's skin was hot to the touch, but there wasn't a whole lot Yugi could do about it, as far as he could recall from his readings—he nearly jumped when a low, pleased rumble sounded from Malik's throat, and had only just realized that he was purring when the felid leaned into his touch, eyes closed blissfully. Yugi gaped, a slow grin spreading across his face.

With Malik purring even louder, the little caretaker stroked his smooth skin, venturing hesitantly into the thick blonde hair. It felt strong and healthy, glossy... Yugi barely restrained a giggle when Malik arched towards him, forcing his hand further through the Egyptian's hair. When he curled his fingers into the base of Malik's neck, his eyes opened just a bit, hazy with pleasure.

"Yugi!"

Yugi leapt back at Bakura's voice; Malik only turned with a vaguely sour expression. The Persian looked terse, arms wrapped tight across his chest and eyeing Yugi disapprovingly.

"You can leave now."

Yugi could have laughed at Bakura's complete lack of subtlety, but he chose to keep his safety intact. Bidding a quick farewell, he made for the exit, with only a quick backwards glance and what Bakura could have sworn was a knowing grin.

"Now then," Bakura huffed, turning to Malik only when the door had closed securely, "where were we?"

"Right where we usually are," Malik smirked, "nowhere."

The Egyptian pushed off from the tree, heading for the little pool. He'd been frequenting it several times a day, lately, to relieve the heat... not that Bakura was complaining. It left Malik's hair shiny, and the water beaded nicely on his toned chest and stomach. He may not be good for much else, but Bakura would admit that his companion was excellent eye candy... he waited only a moment to tag along after him.

* * *

While his charges fussed around in the pool, their caretaker had taken a little outing, and found himself now standing in front of a shop he'd walked by eight times before finally spotting it.

_Blue Ribbon_, the sign read, in fashionably difficult lettering. Under that, in smaller text, _for the discerning pet._

Over the course of Malik's finicky eight months at the shelter, Yugi had spent a considerable amount of time online researching what meals may appeal to the appetite of an Egyptian mau. Right away he'd learned that they were notoriously discerning in their food choices, as they were in most other aspects... there were only a few dishes recommended, all of them rather more complex than a slab of meat. And since he wasn't particularly gifted in the culinary arts, it seemed that Yugi's best option was this boutique supply store in the posher part of town, a hole-in-the-wall with consistent five star reviews.

Walking in, he was immediately aware of the fact that he wasn't the typical clientele. A curt, chic saleswoman, whose perfume smelled as though it cost more than his entire outfit—wallet included—had ambushed him mere feet from the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Um, yes, actually, I've... never been here," he blushed a little, accepting an impractically small shopping basket when it was offered, "I'm looking for a certain brand."

"All right, and that brand would be...?"

"It's n-...nej..." God, how he wished he'd written it down. "Nejam... sa...?"

The saleslady waited patiently while he stumbled through a few more attempts, before a customer peeked around a corner, eyeing the exchange curiously.

"Nijmah Sabah?"

Yugi turned, blinking. "Pardon?"

"Nijmah Sabah. It's the brand you're looking for, I'd imagine." The customer, a strange looking man in a dark red suit (was that velvet?), smiled broadly at him.

"Oh! Yeah, that's the one." Yugi turned to the saleslady, who was about to direct him when the customer took him under the elbow, leading him around the corner and leaving the woman perplexed.

"How curious! I'm here for the very same brand." The man guided him down an aisle, and then another, knowing precisely where to look. "You'll have to forgive her, but it's a rare request! You see, the company is catered specifically to Egyptian maus."

The man came to a stop before a small section of decadently golden tins, bearing the brand name in exotic, embossed lettering. Yugi could hardly believe they were meant to hold pet food.

"Lovely packaging, isn't it? Ah, but I preferred the older style. It had a bit more character."

Barely taking a moment to glance at the selection—which was overwhelming, as far as Yugi was concerned—the man dipped down to pick out several tins of the same type. They seemed to be some sort of fish flavor, though Yugi honestly couldn't be sure.

"I do tend to favor old-fashioned things, though... ah, I must be bothering you."

"Not at all!" Yugi turned to the man, only then observing that half of his face was covered by his long, well-kept gray hair. Honestly, it was a bit menacing, but the man's demeanor was so pleasant that he hadn't even noticed it. "I'm, um, thank you. I'd never have remembered the name."

The man chuckled good naturedly, waving his elegant hand. "Not to worry, my dear boy. I gather this is your first time shopping here? A new owner, then?"

"Oh, er, no actually," Yugi shuffled a bit, "I run a shelter. For rescues."

"A shelter?" The man parrotted, wide-eyed. "Why, I didn't know there was such a thing! Of course, I can't imagine giving up my Amir... but then, the economy has been on a downswing. Ah, how tragic." He shook his head at the thought, trailing off, when suddenly something seemed to occur to him, and his one visible eye fixed on Yugi in wonder. "Am I to understand that you're housing a _mau?_"

Yugi blinked, hardly able to follow, before he nodded. "Yes, he was found at the-"

"Amazing!" The man barked, smiling wide. "What a find, eh? An infant?"

"No, he's... well, he just went into heat. First heat."

The man gasped.

"You can't be serious." Yugi stared awkwardly, unsure of how to respond, before the man laughed. "Ah, how rude of me, I hadn't thought to introduce myself. Pegasus J. Crawford. You may call me Pegasus."

The name sounded familiar, but Yugi couldn't place it. He smiled, accepting the gracefully offered hand. "Yugi Mutou..."

"It's a thrill to meet you, Yugi. Forgive my enthusiasm, but I too have a mau entering his first breeding season." He paused, letting the implication sink in, before his excitement overtook him again. "It's just, it's such a coincidence, what serendipity!"

"That _is _a coincidence." Yugi agreed. If he'd thought the man was wealthy before, he was certain of it now. "He's a breeder, I'm guessing...?"

"Oh, he is quite the breeder." Pegasus chuckled fondly. "Purest pedigree on the market, though his attitude leaves a bit to be desired... ah, but I've always been terrible at disciplining him. Spare the rod, spoil the child, as they say!"

Yugi laughed. "I've got one like that too," he thought about it a moment, before conceding,  
"two of them, really. My mau is usually pretty self-sufficient, but these days he's been... a little difficult."

"As is to be expected." Pegasus nodded. "A first heat is never easy, but he'll settle once he's mated. I take it you've found a suitor for him...?"

The other's expectant face, as though this was a given, made Yugi fumble with his words. "Er... no. I uh... I hadn't..."

Pegasus lifted a hand to silence him, and Yugi's mouth snapped shut. When the man spoke, it was in a conspiratory tone, as if the two of them were in on an incredible secret.

"Do you mean to tell me, Yugi, that you have a mau bitch in need of a mate?" Yugi paused, before nodding slowly. Pegasus gave a giddy laugh, startling him. "Ah, could our meeting be any more fated?"

"I-I'm not sure I understand, Mr. Crawford..."

Yugi flinched when he was clapped emphatically on the shoulder. "My dear boy! I've got a breeding stud, you've got a bitch in heat. I think it's only common sense that the two of them should get acquainted, don't you?"

Yugi blinked.

Then his eyes went wide as saucers, and his jaw dropped. "Wha-um, really?"

"Of course!" Pegasus chuckled at the shock on the little caretaker's face, eyes glittering with delight. He clapped his hands together, beaming. "Ah, how exciting! Tell me, what is the bitch's name? Coloring?"

"Um, It's Malik, he's um, he's got black markings, kind of sandy blonde hair, purple eyes-"

"Yugi, are you aware that you're describing a purebred Ishtar mau?" Yugi grinned sheepishly. "I should know, Amir is of the same line!"

"I had a hunch, but without papers or anything-"

"Oh, that sort of pedigree speaks for itself!" Yugi hardly noticed as the giddy man began to toss about a dozen tins of whatever flavor he'd selected himself into the caretaker's own basket, babbling animatedly as he did so. "I can't begin to tell you how tickled I am to have met you. I'll have to speak with my office, but if all goes well I must insist that you allow me to bring Amir over tomorrow and meet your Malik."

By now Pegasus was striding quickly to the register, Yugi scrambling after him to keep his pace, but nodding enthusiastically all the same. "O-of course, Mister Crawford, we'd be honored to have you!"

"Dear boy!" Pegasus dropped both his and Yugi's basket on the counter, swatting the caretaker's hand away when he tried to take his back. Protests quashed, Yugi shuffled on his feet and blushed when the saleswoman gave the total for their purchases. Pegasus, however, went on with his rambling, "Now, I'll give you my card, but unless something terribly urgent comes up you should expect to see me tomorrow noon. And do let me know how Malik takes to the food!"

Yugi had barely a moment to call out a goodbye, and a thanks, before the exuberant gentleman was out the door.

Left in the wake of his whirlwind exit, Yugi broke into a grin, accepting his purchase from the

saleswoman with a breathless laugh. He honestly couldn't believe it... a purebred stud, a pedigreed breeder, coming to the shelter. Even Malik couldn't say no to that... Sure enough, on top of the neatly packaged box, was a small, glossy card, embossed with sleek silver.

_Pegasus J. Crawford, Chief Executive Officer _

_Industrial Illusions, Inc._

* * *

There was still a bright grin on Yugi's face when he returned to the shelter, undeterred even when he found Malik and Bakura wrestling on the ground. They'd taken to doing this often, never seriously injuring one another... it was a way of relieving the sexual tension, and sure enough, both of them were flushed and panting, spitting wicked insults at one another with devious smiles. As was often the case, Malik had the upper hand... but Bakura didn't look too torn up over having the Egyptian's strong thighs wrapped tightly around his waist.

"All right, break it up, you two!" They glanced his way, and when they spotted the trays in his hands they separated somewhat reluctantly. If the felids noticed Yugi's excitement they didn't pay it much attention, slinking over to the place where they took their meals and eyeing him expectantly.

"There you go, Bakura," Yugi set down a plate of ham steaks, the usual. Bakura licked his lips nonetheless.

"And for you, Malik," with a bit more care, Yugi presented Malik's tray. It appeared to be some sort of exotic dish, indiscernible from one Yugi might order at one of the Moroccan restaurants his girlfriend had loved to frequent... Malik's eyes lit up. Never one for open appreciation, though, the Egyptian accepted the tray in silence.

The silence stretched a minute, punctuated only by Bakura's noisy eating, as Yugi lingered expectantly. Sure enough, Malik's dainty first bite was followed by a much larger second one, hardly chewing in between. Inwardly, Yugi was cheering.

"How does it taste?"

"...It's good." As if he couldn't believe it himself, Malik examined his meal, before looking up with a short nod. "I like it."

Yugi nearly high-fived the air. "Oh, that's great!"

Bakura paused in his ravenous chewing to laugh. "Finally, a dish to His Highness' liking. The kingdom rejoices."

Malik rolled his eyes, but smirked all the same. Turning to Yugi, the Egyptian gave him a nod, the closest to a thanks that he would probably ever receive from his haughty charge.

Yugi beamed in return, and silence settled once again. The caretaker looked back and forth between the two felids, bracing himself, and sucked in a breath.

It was as good a time as any to make his announcement.

"Malik, I've got a question for you."

The felid looked up, quirking a brow.

"There's a man coming to visit tomorrow, and he's... going to be bringing his felid along." Bakura was listening now, eyeing him suspiciously. "It's an Egyptian mau."

This made Malik pause. "...A stud?"

"Yes."

"What the hell for?!"

Yugi flinched a bit to the side as the Persian leapt to his feet, wiping his mouth with blazing eyes. Bakura's outburst surprised him, but really, it shouldn't have; the caretaker had avoided thinking about how the Persian would take to the news, but his indignation, and the vicious glare that followed, were to be expected. After all, as far as Bakura was concerned, this was _his _bitch they were talking about.

"I, er... I met him at the supply store, he-"

"I don't care where the hell you met him, call him off!" Bakura's claws were extended, curled in menacingly, tail bristling with irritation. "Why in the _fuck_ would you bring another stud in here?!" His lips split in a fearsome grin. "Yuuuugi, you are so dense I could kill you..."

"Now, now, Bakura," Malik placed a placating hand on the Persian's tensed shoulder, wicked amusement dancing in his eyes, "it wouldn't hurt to meet him."

"You-!" Bakura whirled on him, hair flying. He leaned in unreasonably close, prodding at the Egyptian's chest with a clawed finger. "_You _should be the one getting angry! What happened to not wanting to be mated, then?"

Malik narrowed his eyes at him, brushing his finger away disdainfully. "I _don't _want to be mated."

"No one's going to mate you," Yugi assured him. Bakura laughed sharply, earning an exasperated glance before the caretaker turned back to Malik, "not tonight, anyway. He's just coming to visit."

"See, Bakura?" The Egyptian smirked. "Just coming to visit."

"Yeah, _sure_. Don't come crying to me when he's humping you into the dirt!" Bakura snorted.

Then the idea seemed to humor him, because he started chuckling wickedly.

"On second thought..." Bakura turned to Yugi, a gleam in his eye. "I've changed my mind. Send him on in, Yugi. This'll be a real... _learning _experience for our little Malik."

Malik rolled his eyes, turning back to his meal.

For the second time that evening, Yugi could hardly believe their luck; if everything went well, his Malik would be mated by a purebred Egyptian mau. Their offspring would be literally the most distinguished pedigree in the felid breeding circuit, and since he was fairly certain that Malik would accept no less than the absolute highest quality stud (if he'd accept any stud at all), Yugi couldn't help but feel a little giddy on the his behalf.

Without thinking, he reached out to scratch fondly behind Malik's tawny, black-tipped ear, receiving a quick flash of his purple eyes before he returned his attention to his meal.

But then there was Bakura. Just as he couldn't help but feel happy for Malik, Yugi couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for the slight against his oldest charge... he knew how hard Bakura had been trying with Malik, how much patience it'd taken, and how close he was now to finally achieving his goal. But there would be other chances for him, he was still rather young in his adulthood, and it honestly wouldn't have surprised Yugi if Malik had gone on denying the Persian til their dying days just as a matter of principle. And if his cruel smirk was any indication, the prospect of seeing Malik put in his place seemed to be entertaining enough to appease Bakura.

Yugi could only hope that it went well with the Egyptian stud. It was such an unbelieveable opportunity for Malik, for the shelter... a litter of Egyptian maus... he moved his hand from behind Malik's ear to stroke under his jaw, drawing a low, contented purr.

"Behave tomorrow, okay?"

Yugi's hand was swatted away, and Malik fixed him with a disdainful stare.

"I'll behave as I please, human."

Pierced under his unforgiving gaze, Yugi stammered out an apology; he dropped it altogether when the Egyptian leaned back into his outstretched hand, forcing it through his hair and purring again. Bakura snickered at the caretaker's confusion, already seasoned as he was with Malik's shifting heat moods... in the next moment, however, he was glaring Yugi down, having decided that the human had overstayed his welcome.

"Well, I'll see you two in the morning," Yugi gave Malik a last scratch behind his ear before drawing away. The moment that his hand was off the Egyptian, Bakura seemed to relax, and struck up conversation with his hazy-eyed companion. No longer an object of interest, Yugi set about collecting the used dishes, noting with a wry smile that Malik's plate was completely bare. He'd have to thank Mister Crawford... As he headed out, Yugi barely paid any mind to the sharp, nasty conversation the felids were engaging in behind him, the accusations and taunting that flowed between the two of them like honey.

"Never gonna make a housecat of _you_, will they Malik?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Now, kitty, _behave_. Why don't you sit in my lap a bit?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I can pet you too, you know. Though I might not go for the ears..."

"I'm sure. Go on, Bakura, I think there's a patch of dirt over there you haven't pissed all over yet."

Yugi sighed, shutting the door.

Hopefully Mister Crawford would find them... charmingly rustic.

* * *

A/N: In case it wasn't clear, Amir is Yami Marik. Yup.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: It was SUPER FUN seeing what you guys thought would happen with Amir (YMalik), so I hope this doesn't disappoint. Thanks again for reviewing everyone, it really inspires me to write more knowing that there are a bunch of wonderful sugar babies who want to know what happens next. Basically love love love all you reviewers but ngl I have to give a special shout out to Shadi

**A NOTE! about Malik's heat (and why Bakura is cocky about it)**: it wasn't brought on by puberty or anything (all characters here are post pubescent) but rather Malik's body sensed that there was a suitable mate around that he would be receptive to. Tee hee. I actually based this off of something my friend told me while working at a vet clinic, that even sexually mature cats do not ovulate until AFTER being courted (to help ensure that the male is one that is likely to stick around). I know I know sounds iffy and I definitely have not looked into it but there ya go

Ch.5

Pegasus's personal car stood out nearly everywhere he went—a gleaming, crème Rolls Royce Phantom with silver detailing, his trademark. It was a gorgeous vehicle, top of the line like everything else the man owned... but it drew quite a bit of attention the further it traveled from uptown to downtown and into the duller areas, where the Turtle Shelter was located. As always, however, Pegasus was undisturbed by the gawking stares; he had more pressing matters on his mind, namely the clawed, muscular creature in the back seat he called a "pet." There was an odd tension in the felid, one that set Pegasus' driver on edge. Pegasus didn't notice it himself, mind abuzz with nervous energy.

"He's an Ishtar, you know," he offered, earning a raised eyebrow from his stoic pet, "like you. Isn't that a bit of luck? And he sounds just lovely."

Amir remained silent. He didn't often deign to speak to Pegasus, or anyone else for that matter. He didn't really show emotion either, aside from the occasional wild-eyed bloodlust... he was often smirking though, pleased at whatever violent thought was tickling his dark mind. It put nearly everyone forced into contact with him at unease, including other felids; everyone, of course, except Pegasus. But even he knew that his precious pet was prone to dangerous moods, and this knowledge was chewing at him, making him tap his fingers on his knees restlessly.

"Now, Amir." He began, as he had several times preceding the car trip. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but... we can't have a repeat of the last few times."

The pet rolled his eyes; he had indeed heard this already. Unsatisfied, Pegasus went on.

"We're lucky to get this opportunity at all... if this goes sour... I'm sorry, my boy, but I don't think you'll be breeding this season." A barely noticeably twitch of the Egyptian's lip into a bitter scowl. Pegasus swallowed. "You understand, don't you? Just... be nice."

Amir snorted, raising his chin in obvious defiance.

Pegasus crossed and uncrossed his legs, fretting for what seemed like the hundredth time today over his pet's attitude. Powerful businessman or not, he'd felt terribly about the way things had gone with the pedigreed bitches that had been introduced to Amir, only to be scoured with angry red slashes moments later... what a debacle that had been. But somehow, Pegasus was even _more _anxious about this upcoming encounter, though the stakes were nowhere near as high. Should he have told little Yugi, the bright-eyed caretaker, about the risk Amir posed to his beloved charges? Of course he should have. He grimaced lightly at the thought, clearing his throat to draw the felid's wandering attention.

"Amir, be civil. That's all I ask. Let me put it this way-" Pegasus lowered his voice, steeling his gaze against Amir's unblinking one, "-if I see blood, I'll be very disappointed in you. _Very _disappointed, Amir."

The Egyptian's lip twitched, threatening a smirk.

* * *

A little ways away, the shelter was abuzz with activity, preparing its own Egyptian mau for his seredipitous meeting. While Malik had vehemently protested being bathed, he had grudgingly consented to a physical; height and weight had to be taken again, body fat, eyesight, hearing, reflexes, even his teeth were being counted. It seemed like only yesterday Yugi had taken his measurements for the first time, and Malik looked no less out of place in the sterile exam room this time around... he darted away quickly when Malik snapped his jaws at him. Thankfully, he'd anticipated it based on past physicals with Bakura, who curiously had chosen to accompany Malik and Yugi to the exam room and hover beside the Egyptian as he was put to his various tests. Yugi was grateful for the company, as Malik was unusually hostile about having his measurements taken. He made it plainly clear that he didn't like to be pawed at, but unfortunately it was necessary... pedigreed pets like Amir had these sort of things on record, and Yugi didn't want Pegasus to change his mind on the matter over something like poor paperwork.

"Thanks, Malik," Yugi smiled, inputting the most recent string of data into his laptop. "You know, you've gained almost twenty pounds since you've been here!"

"_Excuse me?_" Malik bristled. The caretaker fumbled to explain that it was all healthy weight, putting him in the normal range, while Bakura burst out in high-pitched cackling.

"Got to put on that extra fluff," he snickered, elbowing Malik, who had leaned back to study his own torso with microscopic care. "What is it they say? 'More cushion for the pushin'?"

Malik's eyes narrowed. "Why are you in here, again?"

"Why, because it's your big day," Bakura cooed, leaning his head forward to nuzzle at Malik, who leaned away. "I want to be there every step of the way."

Exasperated, Malik turned to Yugi. "Kindly tell him that I'm not going to be deflowered today."

Yugi blinked; in all honesty, he wasn't sure that he could cater to that request. However, he had decided that if Malik genuinely didn't want it, pedigree be damned... Yugi wasn't going to see him forced. It may be the way of the wild, but it did _not_ sit well with him. He nodded firmly.

"You say that now," Bakura leaned toward Malik, who was examining the tone of his upper body with a critical eye. "You've not met him yet. He may not be the sort to take no for an answer. Not all studs are as well-mannered as I am, you know."

"Not my problem," Malik muttered, deeming himself to be in acceptable condition and alighting the bench. Bakura followed suit; they really had become inseparable these days, whether either of them realized it or not.

"11:52," Yugi observed, typing in the last of his data. "They'll be here any minute. I've gotta get you two back in the enclosure, Mister Crawford was weirded out enough with you running around here last time, Bakura." He turned to them, noting that Malik looked a bit dodgy, like he'd take off at any minute. Was he nervous? Yugi supposed he had every right to be, but it was still an odd look on him. However, just as he was about to offer words of encouragement, the office phone rang. _Crawford, Pegasus J._ Immediately Yugi dove for it, chirping a greeting and trying to contain his excitement.

"Must be my suitor," Malik commented idly, though his tail was swishing in agitation. Bakura glanced down when it brushed up on the back of his leg, a knowing smirk spreading across his face.

"Must be," he agreed, resting a hand on the Egyptian's shoulder. Malik's eyes darted to him, suspicious, but Bakura only gave him an amicable pat. "No need to fret, Malik. You're going to do just fine."

"He's not having me," Malik hissed.

Bakura's smirk widened to an infuriating grin. "Of course he isn't."

"Okay, guys, let's go, time to get back," Yugi barked, cutting off Malik's scathing retort to push the two of them towards the hallway. "They just pulled up outside. Let's go, go go..."

Both felids were too surprised to be insulted as they were literally shoved out the door.

* * *

It took between ten and five minutes of waiting before the entrance to the enclosure beeped, heralding the esteemed guests. Those five or so minutes had been a nervous hell for Malik, and consequently a delight for Bakura... however, as Yugi and the man from yesterday stepped in, gesturing for someone to follow, even the Persian found himself a bit anxious. This was, after all, a very large stud, and his sort weren't known to take kindly to each other's presence; the fact that there was a bitch in heat present as well didn't bode well for him. Nonetheless, Bakura straightened his posture to its maximum haughtiness, eyes narrowed towards the doorway as the newcomer entered.

The humans were silent, allowing the felids their moment, while Bakura and Malik met the blank, lilac stare of another Egyptian mau.

Amir.

He cut an impressive figure, that was for sure. His actual height was on par with Malik's, but his shock of blonde hair stood at least six inches taller; it was an impressive mane, reaching down his broad shoulders and resembling a lion's. His musculature was flawless, obviously trained and perfected, and his markings—under and around his eyes, and surely on his back as well—were impeccable, more pronounced even than Malik's. He was dressed in dark purple, like royalty, and adorned in gold.

Bakura broke the silence, cackling.

"Bahahaha!" He nearly doubled over, startling both humans. When he straightened, he looked the newcomer up and down again, before bursting into giggles. He shoved Malik on the shoulder. "Don't look now, your Highness, it looks like there's a contender for the crown!"

Pegasus blinked. "Who's this?"

"This," Yugi scrambled forward to stand beside Bakura, as if that would make him behave any better. "This is Bakura. He's been at the shelter for years."

"I'm not in high demand," Bakura supplemented, eyeing Pegasus snarkily.

If the man noticed, he didn't mind. "Well, hello there, Bakura. I'm Mr. Crawford, and this is Amir." He offered, gesturing proudly to the Egyptian stud, before turning his gaze to Malik. "Y_ou, _my dear, must be Malik."

He received no reply.

Only then did Bakura turn to his uncharacteristically quiet companion. The sight nearly made him start cackling all over again; Malik's eyes were wide, ridiculous with their kohl markings, and dilated as if in a daze. His lips were parted, just slightly, and his ears were flat. He was still, but trembling.

_Trembling_.

Yugi seemed to notice the odd silence as well, and followed Malik's gaze to land on Amir. The stud appeared equally transfixed, eyes focused as a cobra, posture almost predatory. Though he couldn't pick up on them himself, Yugi could imagine pheromones radiating off of him, between them, in palpable waves.

Then, suddenly, Malik took off.

He moved so quickly that Yugi could barely catch it with his eyes, darting off to the far end of the enclosure and into a densely foliaged area, hidden from view from where they stood. Before Yugi could even begin to apologize for his reaction he had to dodge to the side to avoid Amir, who had taken off in pursuit, a wild look on his face. Floundering with the vestiges of his apology, Yugi fell silent, staring dumbfounded after them.

Pegasus was the first to speak.

"Well!" He exclaimed, laughing, "It would seem they've taken a shine to eachother!"

Yugi started laughing too, disbelieving. He'd have been alarmed at Malik's retreat, but one look at the Egyptian's face had told him all he needed to know about how he felt towards the new stud. "How do you like that..." Though they were not longer visible, he still stared off in the direction the maus had gone, laughing again.

"If you don't mind, then, I'd like to discuss a possible arrangement." Pegasus said with a smile, obviously tickled. "Shall we retire to the lobby?"

"Er, yeah, absolutely."

Yugi nearly jumped out of his skin when Bakura's hand clapped on his shoulder.

"Hold on, Yugi," the Persian said silkily, "are you just going to leave little Malik to deal with this alone?"

"Deal with what?" Pegasus inquired, a little off put by the felid's casual touching of his master.

"Oh, didn't he tell you?" Bakura blinked owlishly. "Our dear Malik has a bit of an _aversion _to-"

Yugi cut him off. "It's nothing, Mr. Crawford. Um, Malik's a little shy."

Pegasus pursed his lips.

"I'm awfully worried for him," Bakura went on, imploring directly to the taller man now. Somewhat remarkably, Pegasus' one visible eye softened right away. "Won't you let me wait on the observation deck? Just so someone is keeping an eye out."

Pegasus offered him a genuinely comforting smile, and a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I assure you, my boy, your friend will be just fine."

Resisting the urge to swat the kind hand away, Bakura widened his eyes and chewed at his lip. This was an act he'd often used on the old woman, back when he'd been able to fool her with it. "Oh, but he is my _dearest _friend. I can't help but worry." Turning to Yugi now, he batted his eyes. "You can even put the shock collar on me if you want, I promise I'll be good."

"U-um," Yugi's gaze bounced between the two of them; Pegasus's sympathy was etched all over his face, as was Bakura's obviously false concern. Swallowing concern of his own, he conceded with an uncertain smile. "Sure. That's fine."

Pegasus seemed pleased with his decision, allowing his enthusiasm to return full force. He clapped his hands, giggling in the campest possible way, "Well then, shall we?"

Yugi assented, taking the offered velvet-clad arm and following Pegasus to the door. His wariness returned tenfold when Bakura stepped out of the enclosure with them; it was such a bizarre feeling, and walking with him in tow only made him seem more eerily human than usual. To make matters worse, he could have sworn Bakura tossed him a wicked leer when he turned off to ascend the stairs to the observation deck... but then Pegasus asked him a question, and Yugi turned to follow the exuberant gentleman to the lobby.

Once on the observation deck Bakura went straight to the monitors, giddiness dancing his his eyes. "Where've you gone to, where..." He scanned several displays, each with views of his habitat that he'd never seen before and took a moment to recognize.

"Ahh... there we are." He zeroed in on one screen, which had a view of the rarely-used area the Egyptians had run off to. To his surprise and amusement he found them engaged in a stand off, staring unblinking at eachother; even from a near birds' eye view, he could see the tension of Malik's every muscle. Amir, on the other hand, seemed to be merely biding his time... and why shouldn't he, when he was clearly stronger? Bakura chuckled under his breath. "Oh, you stubborn little fool."

This continued for a few moments longer, only to be broken abruptly. Bakura leaned forward as Malik leapt at Amir, claws bared and intent anything but friendly. The stud met his attack with brute force, tackling Malik to the ground; the smaller Egyptian rolled quickly out of the way, and was on his feet again in an instant, pouncing. This continued for nearly five minutes, Malik darting out of Amir's grasp whenever he was tackled, and Amir all too willing to go in for another round. Bakura found himself smirking, just a bit... maybe all the wrestling and petty fighting the past eight months had done Malik some good, after all.

But Bakura never kept up for this long, at this fight-or-flight intensity, and Malik was obviously tiring. Clearly desperate, he gave his all into the next attack, tearing away at Amir until the two of them were hardly more than a writhing mess of claws. And what claws they were, black as pitch and gleaming, neither Egyptian willing to retreat... it occurred to Bakura that it wouldn't surprise him if Malik was willing to die for this. He swallowed; what a stupid reason to die.

Just as he was beginning to think of calling Yugi in—though he'd never admit it—the Egyptians broke apart, Malik scrambling away with none of his usual composure. Bakura exhaled, smirk returning as he leaned even closer to the screen. What now, Malik? What's the new plan of action?

On screen, Malik merely stared, frozen, chest heaving as he regained his breath.

Then Bakura noticed what he was staring it.

It was impressive, really, that even in the low-res of the observation cams, Amir's erection was clearly visible. Bakura hadn't even seen his waistclotch come off, though given the violence of their little tussle, it wasn't surprising. Either way, his cock stood proud, full and quite hard, and Bakura barely gave himself a moment to be envious of it before leaning forward, intrigue coming to a pitch. Now it was going to get good... Malik could hiss and spit all he wanted, but exhausted and faced with a rod like that, and in _heat?_ How exactly did he plan to resist now?

His queries were answered a moment later. Malik turned onto his belly, raising and presenting his ass.

"_WHAT?!"_

Bakura's cry resounded in the empty observation room, though he wasn't aware of it. He could only stare incredulously. Amir, too seemed to be dumbstruck, but he was over it quickly enough, and in the next moment the stud was on Malik, securing a grip around his offered body. Amir's strong arms wrapped tightly around the smaller Egyptian's chest, and he'd hardly secured his position when he began moving against him; not penetrating yet, but quick, short thrusts of his hips. Bakura couldn't see Malik's face, but his posture was so... so _open_, face to the ground and legs spread, that he didn't have to. He was ready.

The humans came in unnoticed.

"Bakura, did you yell just now? How are they doing?" Yugi caught sight of Bakura's rigid form, hovering mere inches away from one of the screens. "Bakura?"

Pegasus crossed the room, admiring and commenting on the various trappings, when he came up beside Bakura and happened to glance at the screen which had captured the Persian's attention.

"Oh, heavens!" He chuckled, peering over the felid to ogle at the display. "This might be a good time to take our leave."

"Oh!" Yugi gawked, having come to see what the fuss was all about and going red in the face. Bakura had the barely controllable urge to claw the both of them. "Yes, um-"

Pegasus giggled again, eyes wide and bright as he watched his prized stud in action. Nonetheless, this was neither the time nor the place. "We can discuss details later. Come now, mustn't let them get _too _familiar just yet..."

They were laughing, all the way down the stairs. Pegasus's laugh was giddy, Yugi's was obviously nervous, but laughter all the same. And as Bakura stared unblinkingly at the scene on the display, another—_bigger, stronger—_stud rutting against Malik, who held the submissive pose as if in a trance...

He failed to see the humor.

* * *

Following his encounter with Amir, Malik had been pulled aside by Yugi to be present for the negotiations of his upcoming spousing. It was a nice gesture, but one that Bakura found a bit insulting; it wasn't as though Malik actually had any choice in the matter, why pretend that he did? Ah, but that was the way it was for bitches... Bakura had but to wait patiently for his companion to return to the enclosure, and he had a thing or two to say to him when did.

About a half hour later, the door beeped. Bakura had an entire interrogation prepared, and wasn't about to abandon it just because Malik looked as though he'd been dragged through a war zone and had zero interest in conversation. As soon as Yugi had departed, murmuring soft words of encouragement to the Egyptian, Bakura started in, licking his chops.

"And our _queen_ returns..."

Malik trudged past him, heading for his tree. "Shut up."

Bakura was undeterred. "What, you don't want to talk about it? I'd think you'd have to get it off your chest, I know how fools in love-"

"Shut _up_."

"My, how unfriendly," Bakura crooned, tailing after him. "I'm insulted, now that I know how... _hospitable _you can be."

Malik paused for a moment, before shoving purposefully past him. Bakura rubbed his shoulder where they'd made contact; _that was a bit rougher than usual, wasn't it? _Studying the guarded, hunched back, the tension in his arms, Bakura resigned to abandon his teasing.

"Fine, what is it?" Malik barely glanced his way. "You're angry with me, obviously."

"No, it's just...ugh, forget it." The Egyptian grimaced, shaking his head. "Forget the whole thing. Let's just go to bed."

"I'm sorry, I'm supposed to just forget the sight of you on your hands and knees, ass up in the air?" Bakura scoffed, following a bit closer than was necessary. "Unlikely, considering I've been waiting for it for eight months now-"

"Will you shut up?" Malik snapped, turning on his heel to face Bakura. Indeed, his purple eyes flashed brilliantly with indignation; but where had _that _attitude been, back there with Amir? Before Bakura could voice his question Malik turned away, grimacing again as a visible shudder ran through him. "Ugh... I... can't believe you saw that..."

"Honestly? I couldn't believe it either." Bakura's brow furrowed, recalling the incident. "You just... you made it so _easy_-"

"Enough."

"No, it's not enough!" He was frustrated, now; he'd been frustrated before, underneath his teasing and ridicule. "Here I was, led to believe that you were oh-so-unreceptive," he dropped his voice to Malik's pitch, rolling his eyes dramatically, "oh, I _hate _sex, I'm too good for everyone, no one's making a bitch out of me!"

"Would you shut the fuck up?!"

It was an unexpectedly heated demand, and Bakura answered it with equal ferocity. Hell, he had a bone to pick. "I'll shut up when you start making some goddamned sense!" He laughed, bitterly. "If you're so opposed to the idea, why did you get down on all fours like a perfect bitch? I've... I've had you on the ground, hard as a fucking _rock_, and you never let me...argh!"

"Is that it?" Malik leaned back cockily. They had been nearly nose to nose, a dangerous closeness that he didn't want to indulge. "Bakura, has it even occurred to you that you just don't do it for me? No, that couldn't _possibly _be what's going on-"

"So that's what does it for you?" Bakura cried, exasperated. "Someone who looks just like you? Oh, what a surprise!"

"He did not either-"

"He looked _exactly _like you!" A mirthless laugh. "Hah! Love at first sight!"

"Stop _saying _that!" Malik bristled, ears going flat with anger. "I don't fucking love him, you _twat_."

He punctuated his declaration with a shove at Bakura's chest; they'd gotten too close again. He'd barely gotten three yards, however, when the Persian fell back in step behind him.

"You should've seen your face." Bakura went on, regardless of the fury radiating off the Egyptian. "You were shaking, Malik." He chuckled darkly. "I've seen you wanton, but right then, you looked ready to lie down and spread your legs right there in front of Yugi and that velvet ponce."

As he spoke, Bakura had begun to circle the other slowly, considering him from every angle. Malik's ears flattened even more. When he was directly behind the Egyptian, Bakura pressed against him, chest to patterned back, feeling the full heat of his rage and speaking into his hair. "What would have happened if we hadn't come in and broken it up? He _had _you... you let him-"

"Quiet!"

Malik whipped around so quickly that Bakura barely registered the blow to his chest. It had been no fist and all claw, and four long, stinging cuts were left in its wake. He gaped down at the marks; surely they had wrestled before, but this... this was a bit different. Bakura swallowed harshly, darting his gaze up to pierce Malik's in shocked accusation. The Egyptian, for his part, looked just as startled as he did.

"You're shaking again..." Bakura observed. Malik stiffened, but it was useless; his every muscle was trembling uncontrollably. Bakura looked him head to toe, the flush, the tense posture. He laughed. "Oh, you're _horny_, aren't you? What a fucking coincidence, so am I!" He laughed again, loud and bitter, taunting; Malik turned his back and continued the short few strides to his tree, ascending to his perch as Bakura hollered after him. "Do you want to _fuck_? Oh wait, I'm not good enough for you! I don't have a twenty inch cock, or a fucking _cape_, not like Amir, the purebred!"

Malik dropped onto his side, away from Bakura, whose indignant squabbling had yet to cease and probably wouldn't for a while. It wasn't as though he blamed him; no, the Persian was right, he had definitely made it easy for Amir, and he was definitely trembling at the memory of it. Malik was only thankful that Bakura hadn't figured out the real reason why.

He'd been terrified.

Terrified of Amir, the overpowering scent of him, the look in his eyes... it was all so... painfully familiar. It was familiar because Malik had inhaled that scent, seen that look in eyes just like Amir's, from the moment he was graced with the charms of sexual maturity. Back in the breeding mill, in the sweat-saturated dark... if there was a creature that personified the awful place, all of Malik's deepest, most hidden fears, it was Amir. Oh yes, Bakura was right; if he hadn't run, Malik would probably have gotten on his knees for Amir, in front of everyone—it was, of course, _why _he'd run. Run like a frightened little kitten...the fact that his body reacted so...so _strongly,_ so contrary to his brain only made it all the more humiliating, and the fact that Bakura was too wrapped up in his fury to notice Malik's fear was the only thing keeping his pride afloat. Because when it came down to it...

...He'd rather play the bitch than the coward.

Malik shifted uncomfortably; no use in bruising his ego further reminiscing over the event. Flicking his ears upright, he tuned in to Bakura's ranting, now a bitter murmur that he expected not even the Persian was paying attention to.

"Well, sorry I '_don't do it for you'_... you're just going to have to wait til tomorrow, I suppose. Oh, and I bet you can hardly wait, can you? Tch, I'll bet your pretty little head will be full of sweet dreams tonight! By all means, go ahead, even I know when to concede defeat. Ha! Malik and Amir, the Egyptian maus, oh, your perfect match... muscle-bound, stuck-up, _stupid_ blondes, the both of you..." A frustrated exhale as Bakura settled on his own perch. "Ugh, this stings... bastard... tell me, Malik, how will you even sleep, knowing you get to have your ass pounded by him tomorrow?"

Malik squirmed, flattening his ears.

How would he sleep, indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** UGH this took forever and turned out SUPER LONG. Thank you so so much for reviewing guys, I try to get these out on Fridays so that you beautiful babies can read them over the weekend. Practical! That being said... here's chapter 6

**EDIT: MPREG WARNING! **for anyone who wasn't aware that this was an mpreg, **IT IS**. TURN BACK. _DO NOT PASS GO_. I put a warning in the first chapter but it wasn't bolded or anything and could be easily missed ("bitches get mated by studs, etc. and yes they can get knocked up and yes I suck") so YES I SUCK bitches are able to get pregnant. Technically it isn't so much mpreg as it is sequential hermaphroditism,the shift from one functional gender to both/the other typically brought on by environmental indicators. The general structure of the gonads can remain the same, while adaptive structures develop to facilitate the change (i.e. sperm-transporting ducts in females). _But externally and for all intents and purposes it probably squicks everybody who doesn't like mpreg out_

**Skippable pseudoscience begins here-** My idea for felids is that they are externally male/ internally gender neuter until puberty, at which point stud felids develop functioning male gonads and begin producing sperm. Bitch felids, on the other hand, remain internally gender neuter until there is a change in the environment (i.e. a stud secreting a lot of sex hormone) that leads them to develop internal female gonads and the capacity to mate reproductively. Since it seemed unreasonable to expect them to develop a vagina, I imagined the internal sex organs (womb, etc.) as an offshoot of the prostate, which develop in response to repeated stimulation of the gland. **-**I was going to try and fit this in as a conversation between Yugi and Jou, but it felt so forced and looked so weird with the flow of the narrative that I ended up taking it out. And look what happened. People didn't know it was m/hermaphroditepreg. I feel so dirty ablublu

(Still don't own YGO)

**Chapter 6**

.

It was all happening so quickly.

Less than forty-eight hours ago, Yugi had been hunkered down in the observation room as usual, munching on yogurt-covered pretzels and watching Malik and Bakura argue. It was a familiar, comfortable exercise between the felids that Yugi could follow even without hearing their conversation; Bakura would sidle up to Malik, make some lewd or otherwise inflammatory comment, never missing the chance to touch him. In response, the Egyptian would counter with a cruel smile and likely crueller dig to Bakura's pride, and the banter would begin. More often than not, it ended at that, an exchange of petty insults that looked and sounded more like flirting than anything else... but sometimes it escalated. Sometimes they fought genuinely, Bakura's frustration overtaking him or Malik's temper piqued; more commonly though they would tussle, horseplay with a heavy undercurrent of sexual tension. Looking back, Yugi could appreciate how amazing it was that they hadn't ever consummated their... partnership.

But that was all about to change, Yugi thought as he shut and secured the back doors of the shelter van. Truthfully, he had reservations about sending Malik and Bakura off for so long to Pegasus, a man he'd only barely met; but it was such a golden opportunity, and the billionaire seemed so genuinely interested in their comfort, that Yugi forced his fears to the background. He should be happy, excited even... but it was a bit difficult, given that both his charges were in a foul mood. They had hardly spoken that morning, and seemed intent on not looking at each other as he'd secured them in the back of the van. Of course, he'd noticed the scratches across Bakura's chest, but the Persian's flashing glare had kept him from questioning—they were shallow wounds, anyway, likely much more painful in their intent than anything else. As if Bakura's constant scowling wasn't enough to put Yugi on edge, Malik was even worse, dodgy, fussy, and practically vibrating with nervous energy. Getting the collar and lead on him had been a test of Yugi's merit as a keeper... it hadn't been as difficult to get Bakura's lead on, if only for the fact that the Persian seemed to be surprised at the fact that he was coming along too.

Honestly, Yugi couldn't blame him. He had been just as surprised himself the evening before, when Malik had voiced his one request at the very end of the meeting with Pegasus: that Bakura come along for the duration of his stay. The businessman had been taken off guard, but was surprisingly soft to the demand; he'd gotten it in his head that Malik and Bakura were very close, and seemed to be something of a hopeless romantic. Yugi was grateful but unsure, given that housing _one _extra felid for the duration of the heat was an exorbitant expense, let alone two... but Pegasus had assured him that money was not an issue. And as the van pulled into the expansive driveway of the Crawford estate, lined with cherry trees and set on a sprawling twenty acres, he was inclined to believe it.

The moment they'd passed the front gates Malik seemed to realize that they were nearly at their destination, because his nervousness peaked, rising off of him in palpable waves. Unbeknownst to him, he was also giving off the scent of arousal... it didn't take a genius to figure out what was on his mind.

His eyes flicked to Bakura.

The Persian felt his gaze and turned to face him. Malik looked so out of sorts, so different from his usual composure, that Bakura nearly laughed... but the moment their eyes had met, Malik's pheromones had spiked, a signal of desire that he couldn't hide. It was all it took for Bakura to forget his anger entirely, as though they'd never had their little spat and he hadn't just spent a dozen hours stewing over it. He puffed out his chest, raising his chin and holding out his arms in offering.

"Take it in, darling." He smirked, beaming. "Take it all in. Feast your eyes."

Malik's lip twitched in amusement, and the tension left him as well, glad to have Bakura talking again. He looked him up and down, raising an elegant brow and smirking back. "Are my eyes on a diet?"

"It's not too late, you know." Bakura ignored Malik's dig, shifting toward him, the clasps of his lead clinking as he scooted closer. "The fop's driveway is at least a mile long. We could make it count..."

He reached for Malik's cheek, and the Egyptian allowed him a split second's caress before flicking his hand away. "Classy, Bakura."

"Desperate times, desperate measures."

Persistent, Bakura crept closer, barely acknowledging when his lead pulled taught, restricting him.

"Last chance, Malik..."

The tone of his voice, the hunger in his eyes... Malik swallowed, turning away with a forced snicker. Desperate, here, was not a mere turn of phrase.

The drive up to the Crawford mansion was spent much this way, Bakura edging as close as he was able to, whispering to Malik, trying to coax him. His lead was too short for him to close the distance between them on his own (Yugi's doing), so he needed the Egyptian to meet him halfway. And wasn't it just like Malik to remain stubbornly still, just out of reach, even as his eyes lidded at Bakura's lurid murmurings... all too quickly, the van pulled to a stop, and Yugi was opening the back doors with a beaming smile.

"This is it, guys," he chirped, oblivious to Bakura's glare.

Brimming with excitement, Yugi unclasped their leads from the wall fixtures, and led Malik and Bakura out of the van towards the gleaming stone steps. The felids may have put up more of a fuss, but they had fallen silent at the sight of the mansion itself; sprawling and ivory white, modern, yet palatial in its grandeur... neither of them had ever seen anything like it. Yugi too couldn't help but gawk, feeling even smaller than usual.

The grand double doors opened before Yugi could so much as knock, and he stepped inside, tugging slightly at the leads to alert his awestruck charges. He had barely crossed the threshold when he caught sight of a large group of people in pristine uniforms, women chattering eagerly amongst themselves... what were they there for? Yugi dearly hoped they weren't about to have some sort of full-staff presentation, like he'd seen in movies; he couldn't even sit through a group "Happy Birthday" song without blushing. Sure enough, the group went quiet and all eyes fell on the newcomers.

"Um, hi," Yugi offered, unsure of who to address. "I'm... we're here for Mister Crawford?"

He thought about asking if he had the right house, before mentally slapping himself. The name had been emblazoned on the gates, after all... thankfully, the man himself appeared at the top of the grand marble stairs, clapping his hands eagerly.

"Ah, Yugi!" Pegasus beamed, heels clicking smartly as he moved down the steps. "Right on time! And our dear little felid friends, as well. How is Malik today?"

At the sound of his name, both Malik and Bakura stopped gawking at the entrance hall long enough to straighten up, ears perked. It was then that Malik realized that almost all of the staff's attention was fixed on him; he sniffed haughtily, turning away from them as if they were a tasteless meal. The hushed conversation of the women, though, seemed to unnerve him, making his eyes dart over to them as they murmured excitedly.

"Just fine," Yugi assured Pegasus, who had reached the bottom of the stairs at a remarkable pace and strode forward to shake the little caretaker's hand. "He really likes the food, by the way."

"Oh, splendid!" Pegasus beamed, giving Malik a once-over and seemingly pleased with what he saw. "It's the mau in him, of course. They're quite partial to it. Ah-" He made a sweeping gesture, towards the small crowd standing off to the side. "My staff handlers. These lovely ladies are the groomers I've called in for the occasion."

"Oh, um, hi," Yugi waved awkwardly, rather intimidated by the attention he was now receiving from the group of women, who smiled graciously. "He's... a little fussy, just to warn you..."

"It won't be a problem," Pegasus assured him, "they're the best in the business. They see to Amir every week, after all."

The image of Amir sitting patiently in a porcelain, claw-foot tub with a mane full of shampoo would have sent the felids into giggles, but both were otherwise preoccupied. Bakura was sneering at the notion that Malik needed to be prettied up for the occasion—not, of course, because he couldn't imagine the Egyptian being any prettier—but because the "occasion" was going to consist of nothing more than Malik's face being pressed into the dirt while Amir pulverized his ass. Likewise, Malik didn't seem to think much of the idea, mostly because he was mentally counting how many hands would be pawing at his naked body, trussing it up for market. Wasn't it demeaning enough that he was being made a bitch, without having to be the softest, sparkliest bitch in the room as well?

It didn't seem that he would have much of a say in the matter either way, because one of the handlers stepped forward to take his lead in an iron grip. Bakura's hair stood up when the man tugged firmly at it, pulling the Egyptian forward and away from his side; Malik shot the man a scowl, but this new handler had about a foot and two hundred pounds on Yugi. Choosing to leave with his dignity intact, Malik relented to the tugging, following the handler to where the groomers stood, and bristling immediately at their attention. One woman reached for his hand to check his claws, only to be met with a sharp, vicious hiss... the lead on Malik's neck was pulled even tighter, and Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"All right, ladies, I leave Malik in your capable hands. Yugi," Pegasus turned to the caretaker, who was watching the scowling Egyptian warily, "my handlers will take Bakuma from here."

"Bakura," the Persian spat. The handlers in question were staring at him immediately, rather surprised that he had spoken.

Pegasus was unfazed. "Ah, forgive me, Bakura. I believe you'll find the accommodations more than suitable. What is it that he likes to eat?"

"Meat?" Yugi looked to Bakura for confirmation, receiving only a blank frown. "He's not really picky."

"Fantastic. I'll have the cook whip up something special." If Pegasus was trying get in Bakura's good graces, the effect was lost the moment one of the handlers took hold of his lead, startling him from behind. His ears went flat, a low growl in his throat; but, like the man that had taken Malik, this one was a force to be reckoned with, and didn't look terribly amused by his hostility. Yugi breathed a sigh of relief when the Persian relented, crossing his arms huffily. However when Bakura was lead towards a hallway, the opposite direction from Malik, he became immediately uneasy.

"Mr. Crawford, do you mind if I see him to the habitat?" Yugi piped, drawing a raised brow from the billionaire. "I'd like to get a look at it anyway. I'm sure it's a spectacular set up."

At that, Pegasus brightened with pride. "But of course! I'll come along personally. I'm rather impressed with it myself, the designer made a veritable Eden of it, though, it may be a tad small for all three of them..."

With that, the two of them set out after Bakura and the handler, who had him on an embarrassingly short lead. Not one to be humiliated, the Persian followed along, slinking ruefully... on a whim, he turned to look back, to see if Malik was gone from view yet. A throb went through his body when he found the Egyptian looking right back at him, ears flat, eyes tellingly uncertain, as if asking where they were taking him, why they were being separated in the first place.

Unbeknownst to Bakura, his own eyes were asking Malik just the same.

* * *

Yugi could barely contain himself; the habitat truly was an Eden. The first rush of balmy air had caressed his face and neck like a sea breeze, making him breathe deeply of the rich, earthy scent of genuine greenery. It was massive in size, though the foliage was so dense near the entrance that it was impossible to tell the exact dimensions. Remarkably, the entire area was climate controlled, and quite possibly indoors... Pegasus himself was at the forefront of holographic technology, and the overhead sky seemed just a bit too blue for the season. Unlike those at the shelter, the plants were obviously living and lush, wide, balmy rainforest trees and ripe succulents. The ground beneath was peppered with young grass, short and soft under the humans' shoes and the felid's bare feet. Yugi heard rushing water in the distance; though he couldn't see the source, Pegasus had said there was a waterfall, and Yugi had a hunch it was a bit more realistic than the one he and Jou'd set up at the shelter.

"Feel free to look about," Pegasus beamed, noting the awestruck twinkle of the young caretaker's eyes. "I'm going to check in with the groomers, and then I've got to head back to the office. Rest assured that your little friends are in good hands, and if there_ is_ any trouble, you will be notified right away."

"Oh, yes... thank you," Yugi said, tearing his attention from the scenery to shake the billionaire's hand once again before he made his exit. The handler followed after Pegasus, surely to monitor from a more advanced observation deck than the one Yugi was accustomed to... he'd have to get a look at that too before he left. Filling his lungs once more with the warm, humid air, Yugi turned to Bakura, ready to bid him farewell.

At the deadpan look on the Persian's face, Yugi found himself deflating. True, he was excited for Malik, but Bakura was a different story, obviously... he couldn't blame him for his lack of enthusiasm. Under the scrutinizing gaze, Yugi shifted on his feet, unsure of what gesture to make for his farewell. A hug hardly seemed appropriate.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, for now..."

"Yes, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Bakura-" The Persian sniffed, turning away with his nose in the air. "-look. It won't be so bad. You'll only be here until Malik is... you know." Yugi cringed inwardly when his implication caused Bakura to flick his gaze over, searing with bitterness. "And it shouldn't be long, okay?"

The felid chuckled darkly. "Oh, I don't doubt that. He'll be lucky if he makes it through the doorway without getting plowed into the dirt."

"That's not... I didn't mean it like that." Clearly Bakura had no interest in his apologies; Yugi sighed, wringing his hands in front of him and casting his gaze to the ground. "I'm... I'm sorry it didn't work out with you two."

Bakura's head snapped toward him, scowl deep in his sharp features. "It was working out _fine._" He growled, and then he turned away again, irritation curling at the corner of his mouth. "Is that all, then?"

"Ugh, Bakura I didn't mean-"

"He'll be fucked to death, okay? Probably be knocked up before you even pull out of the driveway. In fact, maybe you ought to just wait in the car, save yourself the trip!"

"Bakura-"

"Enough. Go on. You'll have your precious maus." Bakura spat, disdain darkening his eyes as he peered down the bridge of his nose at his gulping caretaker. He smiled, saccharine and sarcastic. "_Do _drive safely, Yugi."

At the scathing tone, Yugi gave up at trying to reason with him. He offered one last pleading look, sighed, and turned around, slinking away in defeat; Bakura could almost picture a tail tucked between his legs. The affect of his admonishment gave the Persian a little satisfaction, and once the caretaker was out of sight, he huffed shortly from his nose.

May as well have a look around.

Truth be told, Bakura wasn't terribly pleased with the setting. It was a bit too humid for his tastes, making his thick hair stick to his neck and shoulders... he liked heat, but he preferred it dry. Once he breached the first patch of foliage though, the air was cooler, and the humidity felt like a fresh mist on his skin, bursting intermittently from an overhead source that he couldn't see. This rainforest area stretched a fair ways, dense enough to obscure the area beyond the foliage but spacious enough to provide many areas to relax, branches to climb, vines to paw at and patches of soft fronds to lay in. Unfortunately for Bakura, the entire area was swathed in Amir's potent musk, aversive to him and tickling his nostrils like pepper.

Breaking through the jungle, Bakura found himself at the edge of a sweet-sweet smelling valley, peppered with grass as it shifted into sand. It seemed like an odd combination of habitats, but it wasn't as though Pegasus could simulate the natural shift from jungle to desert in his backyard (though he probably would if he could). Without the trees obscuring his view Bakura could see that the entire enclosure was surrounded by high stone walls, organic and mossy, like cliff faces; jutting from the farmost of these walls was a waterfall, thirty feet high at least, that struck the pool below it with force enough to throw up a refreshing spray. This pool itself was wide and brilliantly green-blue, edged with stout, wide-hanging date palms, and the rush of water was soothing even from the distance. Bakura, however, was not in the mood for a bath... he was about to turn back around, when something caught his eye. It was difficult to see through the plants, but there appeared to be a spot of purple, just at the edge of the forest as it met the sand. Upon making his way over to it, the scent of Amir grew stronger, until it was all but forcing him to turn around; bracing himself, he pushed back a curtain of leafy vines, and was met with a sight that made his stomach turn with envy.

The phrase "love nest" came to mind.

The area was about thirty feet in diameter, edged with lush, waxy, green-trunked trees. It was entirely carpeted in silk, and when Bakura stepped onto it, he was startled to find that his foot sunk in at least eight inches, fine, plush fabrics giving way under his weight. It was a mattress of some sort, sleek but not too firm, patterned in elaborate purples and golds, fringed with inky black. There were bronze ornaments, filigreed lanterns hanging about the branches; Pegasus' decorative touch, no doubt. It wasn't as if the felids cared about setting the mood.

"Didn't know the runt was coming along."

Bakura nearly lept out of his skin at the gravelly voice, before regaining his composure and swivelling around. Sure enough, the vines behind him had parted to reveal Amir, head high and eyes simmering in idle threat.

"Like the bed?" The Egyptian focused his unsettling gaze Bakura's foot, which was still firmly planted on the silk mattress, before looking back up with an upward twitch at his mouth. "It's mine and Malik's."

At this, Bakura snorted. "Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you? I wasn't told he had to sleep with you as well."

"I don't plan to sleep."

"...I see." Now that the shock of Amir's entrance had worn off, Bakura's foul mood returned with a vengeance, curling his lip in a humorless smile. "You know, I'm no host myself, but I'm fairly certain that guests get first pick of the accommodations. And _I _think that this bed should be _mine _and Malik's."

Amir blinked, genuinely lost for words.

"You... and Malik?" He snickered, and then he laughed, loud and brash. "Oh, you're _funny_..."

"What exactly is so funny about it?"

Amir was still grinning, which made his growl even more unnerving. "You won't be anywhere near him. Not while he's in heat."

Refusing to be intimidated, Bakura took another step forward, planting himself firmly in place. "And what exactly gives you that authority?"

"You're not his mate. _I am_." Amir said, in a tone that left no room for argument. For a moment, Bakura wanted to deny the statement, in hints and sly half-truths... but suggesting that he'd touched the Egyptian's bitch-to-be was a dodgy move. His assumption confirmed, Amir cocked his head, smirking. "What are you, by the way?"

"I beg your pardon?" Bakura raised a brow, bristling.

"You're not courting him. A playmate, perhaps?" Amir considered him with a teasing amusement, hostility barely restrained under his grin. "You're not here as competition, obviously. A skinny runt stud. If you are a stud at all..." He snickered, folding his arms over his chest and flexing his trained biceps. It was a clear display of physical superiority, and Bakura had to fight the instinct to shrink in on himself. Luckily, his pride was stronger than his instinct of self-preservation, and he straightened to his full height, puffing his slim chest out. He was doing no more than standing his ground, but here, in Amir's territory, he may as well have struck him across the face... all the better, because whether his body was in or not, Bakura was ready to take him on.

Fortunately for him, Amir's attention was suddenly diverted; his ears shot up, head darting to the side, and then he shoved unceremoniously past the smaller stud. The Persian stared awkwardly after him for a moment before he detected it—Malik's warm scent, wafting from the direction Amir had just gone. Bakura took off after him, navigating the unfamiliar territory by the smell alone, a familiar caress to his senses, calling to him... breaking through the thick foliage, he spotted Amir. The stud was staring wide-eyed and ravenous in the direction of the doorway, and he followed his gaze, heart catching in his throat.

Malik was... stunning.

His bronze skin was glowing, radiating smooth, supple warmth... the light caught every curve, every definition of his muscular torso. His hair looked healthy and soft as silk, shining like spun gold, thick and falling artfully over hazy lavender eyes. His upper arms, wrists, neck and ankles were all encased in what could only be gold, gleaming with his every movement, and his waist was swathed in deep purple silk, spilling like wine over his long legs. The exotic, spiced oil that scented his skin did little to mask his natural musk—which, to the studs, was more alluring than any perfume. It occurred to Bakura that this was how Malik was meant to be: regal, luxuriant, and glimmering with gold... how ridiculous that he'd been enamored of the Egyptian's fine looks already, and he'd only seen him at his worst. _This _was the creature he'd spent the last eight months with, bickering and lazing about?

Bakura swallowed, throat dry, as their eyes met.

He could have kicked himself.

* * *

As he made the trip back to the shelter, Yugi couldn't shake the guilty feeling that had been weighing him down since he'd left the Crawford estate. Try as he may to tell himself that he had nothing to feel guilty _for_, really, it was no use... he considered calling Jou. But no, his friend wouldn't understand. He hardly understood himself, technically he'd done nothing wrong; as a matter of fact, he'd done Malik a great favor, securing a mate for him that should have been lightyears out of his league. And if Bakura felt raw over it, he'd just have to deal with it... it wasn't as though there wouldn't be other chances for him.

Yugi nearly missed the changing light, stopping jerkily when it shifted to red.

With the motor idling and his left turn signal ticking hypnotically, the caretaker's mind wandered again. It occurred to him, for the first time, that Malik and Bakura could have had young together. He'd considered the breeding aspect, of course, after finding the two of them on top of each other on countless occasions... but he'd never really thought about the offspring themselves.

What would they have looked like?

Mutts, mixed breeds with no business in the pedigree circuit and nearly impossible to sell... but they'd have been dashing little creatures, wouldn't they? Bakura's pale skin and Malik's bronze would have mixed to a milky tan, their hair in varying silver-blondes, eyes a deep maroon. They'd have been handsome devils, like their parents, rogueish. Oh, they would be an absolute _nightmare _to discipline... Yugi chuckled. He could picture it now, Malik hissing in frustration and swatting at the little bastards as they climbed all over him, using his haughty form as a jungle gym. Bakura looking on with an insufferably smug, satisfied grin, proud as a peacock...

The light turned green, and Yugi snapped back to the present, the image gone as quickly as it had come.

* * *

"You've got alcohol on your breath," Bakura called, tailing after Malik, who was currently being all but dragged by Amir toward the bedding area. The Egyptian stud had a firm grip around his shoulders, and Malik didn't seem keen on fighting him. Rather, he was breathing heavily, eyes lidded; Amir's scent marking, Bakura thought bitterly. Now he knew why Malik had been so irritated with him, the smell really was everywhere.

"They... uh, gave me some. Those women. Wine. Sweet wine..."

"Well, that's hardly sporting." Bakura snapped, barely dodging the branch that whipped back to hit him in the face when Amir released it. "Maybe you'd rather sleep it off?"

The desperation in his voice made Malik turn, regarding him blearily. However, trying to keep up with Amir's pace without watching his footing proved too difficult, and he stumbled forward into the stud's broad chest. In one swift movement Amir hauled him up, tossing him over his shoulder and moving even quicker, wild-eyed and panting.

"You don't look well, Malik." Bakura bit out, bristling with anger when he went unacknowledged by the Egyptian, who seemed more amused than angry at the fact that he was no longer on his feet. "You should rest."

It was Amir who turned to face him, and Bakura truly had to struggle to keep from backing down. The other stud's eyes were blazing, pupils tiny and veins portruding at the edges; clearly, the limits of his patience had been reached. When he spoke, it was in a hoarse growl, lips pulled up in a terrifying grin.

"Perhaps _you _should be put to rest."

"Fuck! No!" Malik squirmed in Amir's grip, succeeding in breaking free and righting himself, an impressive feat given his current state. Amir, however, didn't seem terribly impressed. "No, he'll go, you'll go, right Bakura?"

When Malik turned to face him, eyes urgent beneath their intoxicated glaze, Bakura felt his throat tighten. He didn't need to be protected, not by a bitch, especially not a _drunk_ one.

"I'll go when I damn well please."

"Fuck, Bakura just g_nngh!_"

Malik's eyes squeezed shut as Amir sunk his teeth into his neck from behind, just above his shoulder, making his back arch into the barrage of sensation. His ears went flat, and his mouth dropped open, gasping. A prickling sweat crept up Bakura's neck, and he wanted nothing more than to tackle Amir, tear him limb from limb. Anything to get his mouth off of Malik's neck.

"I still think you need to-"

"_Go!_" Malik hissed, squeezing his eyes shut as Amir burrowed deeper into his throat, hands going to his hips and digging in.

Bakura swallowed.

"...Fine."

The Persian's eyes narrowed, fingers clenching into fists at his sides. If Malik didn't want protecting, then he sure as hell wasn't going to waste his breath. Ignoring the burning discomfort in his gut, he tore his eyes from the scene, scathing ridicule brewing in his mind over the way Malik's body pressed back to meet his attacker's. Shouldn't he be angry, too? Shouldn't he be fighting? Alone, they couldn't take Amir on, that much was certain... if they worked together... Bakura clenched his jaw when Malik mewled, brows drawn together as his hips were ground from behind.

It would seem that fighting was no longer on his agenda.

"Have _fun_, then. Tch."

With that, Bakura stormed off, thrashing at the branches in his way until he was out of sight.

"He's lucky he went," Amir's growled, low and giddy in Malik's neck. "my patience had run out."

The statement made Malik's eyes flick open, but Amir wasted no time in wrapping an arm around his waist, dragging him insistently towards the bedding area. "Come, bitch..."

Malik's parted lips clamped shut, and despite his body's wishes, he yanked back. It would seem that Amir had considered this deal more or less finalized, because he hadn't anticipated the action; Malik was able to break away, stepping back to cross his arms over his bare chest, leaving Amir's hand grasping at the air.

"I have a name, you know."

Amir merely chuckled, closing his hovering hand into a fist. "We're doing this again?"

The amusement in his voice was absolutely toxic, more threatening than a snarl; it made Malik cast his eyes side to side, assessing his chances of escape. Catching this tiny admission of fear, Amir's grin widened.

"We're alone now. You don't need to put up a front. Give in."

Malik's eyes flicked back to center, gaze steeled and a frown firmly set in his jaw.

Then he attacked.

Amir met his attack, much like last time, with full force; but Malik was vicious this time. He thrust his weight against the stud, sending them both toppling to the ground. This move proved to be to Malik's disadvantage, though, because it brought them skin to skin all over, his own warm body thrilling at the contact with another's. All the more determined, he drew back, raising his arm and extending his gleaming claws to strike... but Amir caught his wrist, grip unshakeable.

They stared at eachother, twin purple eyes, one drinking in the other's rage like wine.

"You fight so hard," Amir commented, almost childlike in his curiosity, "why?"

Malik thrashed, trying to free his poised claws, but Amir caught him across the back with his free arm, pulling him close. The smaller Egyptian's struggle intensified, but Amir merely held him tight, unyielding and unforgiving, savoring his hot, desperate breath and muttering salaciously in his ear.

"I'm here... give yourself to me, and be mine. I'll take your pain away, Malik. You don't need to fight." Malik made a tiny, involuntary sound of shock when a long tongue stroked the side of his neck, up his face. His mouth clamped shut; a mistake, it turned out, because breathing through his nose filled his senses with Amir's potent scent. His body shuddered, and he felt the stud's lips part against his cheek in a grin. "I'll make you feel good, so good... anything you want, I'll give you. Just remember—you're _my _bitch. If you'll be mine, I'm yours. But you are _mine_."

These words brought Amir's free hand down Malik's back to grip firmly at his ass. Malik's hazy eyes went sharp with anger, but the hot breath, the strong fingers, the possessive grip, made his cock twitch. He groaned, frustration tickling at the back of his throat.

"No, I'm-"

"No?" Amir grinned, grinding his hips up and drawing a gasp. "No, you're...?"

With a violent thrash, Malik broke free.

Desperation riding high, he ran this time, barely looking where he was going... he glanced back to see Amir on his tail, eyes and smile wide, dangerous. The sight scared him so badly that his legs nearly gave out under him, but he kept running, dodging unfamiliar obstacles and with no idea where he was going. For the briefest moment, he thought of calling to Bakura, calling for help—but then he was tackled from behind, bracing himself for the fall. To his surprise, the impact was cushioned by plush silk, skidding smoothly against his flaming-hot skin. He barely had time to open his eyes and take in the bedding area that he'd been unwittingly led toward before Amir's mouth was at his neck, panting into him.

"Caught you."

Malik squirmed, hating and loving the decadent feel of cool silk against his heated body.

"You're fooling yourself. Give in, bitch." Amir laughed breathily at the tortured look on Malik's face as his lips parted, panting, loving the flush of shame and defeat that colored his high cheekbones. "Give in to me."

The stud's scent literally _surrounded_ him... Malik's body thrummed with heat, pulsing in his groin. Every sensation was magnified; the silk beneath him, caressing his bare chest and stomach, Amir's strong, hot body trapping him, hottest at the unyielding hardness pressing up against the curve of his ass. It all just felt so... _good_, so right, and his body loved it, was starved for it. Was _begging _for it, and with the bruising grip around his shoulders, he knew that it was going to get what it wanted, and that Amir was right. His fighting was useless, a waste, and he _was _fooling himself... he did want this.

Badly.

Malik groaned in defeat.

"Just... get on with it..."

Even as he felt the giddy grin against his neck, the push of hips against his backside, Amir tutted him. "No. I'm not going to let you pretend you don't want it. I'm not your little playmate, I'm your _mate_. You can't lie to me."

_I'll do as I damn well please _...Malik's protests died as his body betrayed him, and he pushed tentatively back up against the heat of Amir's stiff cock. His mate... he was going to be mated. He was going to have... _that _inside of him, that firm, full hardness...

"Say it." Amir growled, teeth dragging along Malik's neck. "Say you want it." His grip tightened on the slim waist, dragging down to his hips, pulling them tight against his own and grinding. There were two layers of sleek silk between them, but he could feel the tantalizing warmth radiating from Malik's core, beckoning to him. "What's the point in fighting? You were meant to be mine. You knew the minute you saw me, and you were scared; you're scared now, still...scared of me..."

Malik hissed, eyes flicking open to pierce Amir's. "I'm _not._"

Amir stared back, neither blinking, current passing between them and bodies growing hotter the longer they stared. Then he smirked, and he shuddered with laughter, forehead falling to Malik's shoulder.

"Liar." He grinned, eyes fixed on the up-close marks of Malik's back. So intricate, so stark against his bronze skin... just like his own... he pressed his tongue to them, licking up the curve of his neck. "What did I say about lying to me?"

"K-nnggh!"

Amir grinned wider, digging his teeth in before releasing the now bleeding flesh of Malik's neck, speaking against it. To his delight, the bite had sent a shudder down the other's body.

"What, Malik? What do you want?"

Claws dug into hips, and Amir's voice dropped to a brutal growl.

"_Let me give you what you want._"

* * *

Bakura knew the moment that Malik lost his virginity.

There was a tense, heavy air, silence... and then a choked, disbelieving sound. The moan that followed it, long and almost sobbing in relief (or was that defeat?), so broken... Bakura's heart stopped, his eyes shot open, and he sat up from where he'd slumped moodily against the base of a date palm. He stared into the trees, as if he could see through them it to where Malik lay, finally giving in to nature's relentless demands. The sounds he was making were anguished, as he was slowly penetrated for the first time... but Bakura knew that he had consented. It was a consideration that shouldn't have even crossed his mind, and yet, it was somehow so important; it was also the only thing that kept Bakura from tearing his way to the bedding area as Amir's first groans of pleasure reached his ears and jealousy coiled around his heart.

It should have been him.

It _would _have been him, he'd been waiting so patiently, and he'd been so close... it would have been him pressing inside Malik's wanting body, making him gasp and moan. Him that would be muttering unintelligible encouragements, dirty secrets, in Malik's ear as he began a steady movement... Amir would be cumming soon, and many times again after. As he listened to the sounds of copulation growing louder it occurred to Bakura that there was no doubt Malik would become pregnant. He would be bearing Amir's young—it wasn't as though he hadn't considered it before, but now that it was happening, Bakura had such an urge to stop it that he nearly tore his hair out, curling in tightly on himself. Unrelenting, bitter rage. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't _fair_.

The noises across the habitat were quickly growing louder, more constant. He could _smell _it, in the air; the hot, heady scent of sweat and hormones, the smell of Malik's hair when he was warm. Amir's animalistic panting, Malik's groans as his pride fell away and bared the raw need he had tried so hard to hide. His voice was rich and husky, sending shocks down Bakura's groin; the Persian curled in tighter on himself and ground his teeth.

He hadn't realized how badly he'd wanted to mate him.

Not just to mate, but to mate _him. _The Egyptian had matched wits with him, fought with him, teased him mercilessly... in all his years, Bakura had never thought that he would come across a bitch that he would deem worthy of his seed, and yet, there he'd been, all this time... the thought that he was being taken just across the room made Bakura's throat ache.

He'd been so close.

_It wasn't fair._

* * *

It went on for hours.

Bakura had long since given up on trying to tune out the sounds, and had resigned himself to a curl up in a ball on a rock ledge reminiscent of his shelf at the shelter, a fair distance away from Malik and Amir's little lovenest. The ledge was cool and smooth, overhanging the sand, soothing in the heat of the habitat as darkness fell... it was a small comfort to the Persian, who felt his blood beating in his ears nonetheless. Even after the telltale grunts and moans had tapered off to silence, indicating that the Egyptians had finally worn themselves out, Bakura could still hear the echo of them, imprinted on his mind's ear. And on his mind's eye was Malik when he'd come in, all polished up for the taking, glittering with gold and sultry-eyed.

Bakura rolled over, facing away from the jungle and into the wall.

He'd looked like such a _whore_, a concubine... hadn't he always portrayed himself as royalty? "His highness"? Bakura snorted. The "king" had fallen, willingly at that; _quite _willingly, as far as Bakura could tell from his needy cries. Oh, Malik would be getting an earful about it tomorrow—Bakura blinked in the dark, brow furrowing. He wouldn't be seeing Malik tomorrow, and he probably wouldn't be seeing him the day after, either. As Amir had promised, he wouldn't likely see him for the duration of his heat.

Bakura shifted, a cruel burn at the back of his throat.

A week without Malik...sounded awfully boring.

A fair distance away, the Egyptian in question lay awake, drawn in an airtight embrace and savoring the moment's silence. He was secured against Amir's broad chest in a grip that seemed too firm for sleep, a grip that seemed to smother him in the humid night air, slick sweat barely having the opportunity to dry. The smell that had appealed to him earlier now seemed to leave him merely dazed, having been mated so thoroughly that even his irrepressible heat was satisfied. Body spent, mind blank, he stared out into the dark, seeking out even a wisp of snowy white in the deep greens of the jungle.

.

**A/N:** *the sound of everyone ragequitting* it's like nails on a chalkboard


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: FINALLY. I've been working a lot lately, and there was a road trip in there somewhere. But here it is.

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Chapter 7

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Pegasus J. Crawford was in high spirits.

He'd slept light, unable to keep his eyes closed for his excitement... how was his Amir? And Malik? How were the two of them getting on? The very instant his morning alarm sounded the CEO sprang out of bed and paged his on-call handler, who informed him in no uncertain terms that he was to keep away from the enclosure. Yes, Amir had successfully mated Malik... yes, they were both still alive. No, no blood... _no_, he was _not _to go in and "have a bit of a peek" at them, entering the habitat at all was a death sentence with such a volatile stud still in the process of mating.

This detail caused Pegasus to deflate just a tad. He was by no means ignorant of the mating behaviors his pet would be exhibiting, but hearing the handler repeat it to him really drove the point home; he would go four days at least, up to a week without being able to visit Amir, since the stud would be mating Malik on a near hourly basis for those first few days, and then every few hours after that until the heat passed. The handler informed him that a visit _may _be possible in those last couple days, but that extreme caution would be a necessity. If Amir had even the slightest impression that anyone else was about to have a go at his bitch during the heat, it could prove... disastrous.

And so Pegasus kept away. If there was a week standing between him and the success of his beloved pet, he'd keep from pestering Amir for that week.

The handler wouldn't be so lucky.

* * *

A nearby presence—very nearby—roused Bakura from his fitful slumber. He'd barely had any rest since he'd come to the new environment, though with so little company to distract him the division between day and night had become a weary haze. Such a haze seemed unwilling to leave his mind as he tried to wake himself, becoming more and more aware of the nearby presence and fearing the worst... but as his eyes opened, they met Malik's. Gleaming, purple velvet, his gaze was more startling in its softness than its closeness (and it was _close, _their noses were barely inches apart). Taken off guard, Bakura flinched backward a bit, drawing a smile to the Egyptian's mouth to match the one in his eyes. It had been six days since Bakura had seen hide or tail of Malik, but who was counting.

"Bakura."

"Malik." Even if Bakura refused to admit that he'd missed the sound of Malik's voice, the Egyptian had no such reservations. He tilted his head, playful, pleased. "What are _you _doing here?"

With the same odd fondness, Malik rested his chin on his folded arms, leaning even further onto Bakura's rock shelf. "I've missed you, you bastard."

Bakura blinked.

"...Really." He scoffed, refusing to meet Malik's laughing eyes. "Well. It's not exactly as though you've been lonely, is it? You and your new _friend_ have been attached at the hip... so to speak."

"Do you really want to talk about that?"

Bakura turned to him, finally. "...No."

"Good." Malik smirked. "Neither do I." He unfolded his arms and stretched them out before him, arching his back and groaning when it gave a pop. Rolling his shoulders, he let his eyes shut, relishing the sweet ache as his sore muscles loosened. It was only then that Bakura realized that, save for the gold jewelry, the Egyptian was completely naked. Heat prickled at the back of his neck. "I'd like a bath though... you smell like you could use one, too."

Bakura could have died for the impulsive sniff he gave himself, because Malik was sniggering as soon as he did it.

"I do _not_." He grumbled, nose in the air.

He followed regardless.

It was a short distance from Bakura's chosen shelf to the pool, and truth be told, the Persian had been rather interested in checking it out. There was quite a bit of exploring to do, really, but he'd been so insistent on being miserable that he hadn't gotten the chance. Malik, too, seemed to be delighting in the surroundings, eyes flicking this way and that, pleased with the new sights... but then, Bakura supposed, he hadn't had much of a chance to explore either.

As they reached the edge of the pool, Bakura readily shucked off his clothing. The humidity hadn't been kind to him, and the fabric had been clinging something awful. Malik was already naked, but Bakura was a bit surprised that he didn't remove his jewelry... as a matter of fact, he was surprised that he still had it on at all.

"Are you going to leave all that on?"

The Egyptian blinked, and then his gaze fell to the gold bands about his arms.

"... I like it." He said, rolling his wrist so that the bands moved, snakelike. "It's gold, you know. Fit for a king."

Bakura raised a brow. "Fit for a king, eh?"

Malik merely grinned at him, before he went back to admiring his gold. It was an odd thing to see, Bakura thought; he was used to the Egyptian's haughty indifference, but he seemed to have an eye for fine things. Indeed, the bands flattered him, shining decadently around his toned, long limbs... gold did suit him.

Malik spoke, drawing his attention away from the glittering gold and up to his mischievous eyes.

"So, what have you been doing all this time?"

"Jacking off," Bakura answered without a beat, making the Egyptian snicker, "eating. Sleeping."

"The usual, then." Malik stepped into the water, submerging himself up to just below his hips; Bakura followed, allowing a soft smile at the pleasant feeling of water rushing about his limbs. Ah, how could he have wasted all that time, sticky and muggy up on his shelf?

Malik too seemed to be taking great pleasure in the water, pooling it in his hands and splashing it over his face, running his fingers through his matted hair. "Ugh, I've never smelled so awful in my life."

"At least you're not reeking pheromones anymore," Bakura noted, but the statement was a bit wistful. Ridiculing a horny Malik had brought him no small measure of joy; the fact that he hadn't been able to mate the Egyptian was another blow that he wouldn't even permit himself to think about. It still stung too much. "That's... it, then? For your heat?"

"Good fucking riddance to it," Malik sneered haughtily, splashing his face with particular fervor.

They fell into an amicable quiet, luxuriating in the water. It was warm enough to wade in for hours, and they were both absolutely filthy. Bakura wasn't terribly bothered by a layer of grime, but it did feel good to wash it away, leaving fresh skin and clean hair in its wake... Malik, on the other hand, had been _very _bothered by his dirty state, cleaning himself meticulously until his skin shone with a bright flush.

It wasn't until he found himself staring that Bakura realized that Malik was staring back. The Egyptian was giving him a curious look, considering him.

"...What?"

"Nothing." Malik gave him one last up and down, before breaking the stare. "I forgot how skinny you were."

_Of course_, Bakura rolled his eyes.

"No, no." Malik smiled mischievously, stepping back and tossing him a look that could only be described as 'coquettish'. "It's... rather sexy."

Bakura barked a quick laugh, eyes lighting up, and he stepped forward, falling into his familiar pursuit.

"_Malik!_" He growled, grinning. "What _has_ gotten into you?"

The Egyptian merely grinned back, that same secretive twinkle in his eye, and went back to preening himself.

They had lazed about in the water for nearly an hour before the artificial 'sun' began to rise, warm light making its way from one end of the habitat, presumably the east. Bakura considered for a moment how odd it was that Malik had sneaked out to watch him sleep before dawn had even broke, and turned to ask him, only to find that the Egyptian was, once again, watching him.

"Malik." He smirked. "You're staring again."

"Not so fun when the shoe's on the other foot, is it?"

"I never said that," Bakura lidded his eyes a bit, observing the soft light caressing his companion's features. Perhaps it was the light, but he thought that Malik's expression was unusually warm, his smile unusually fond. They were relaxing now, at the bank of the pool, barely submerged in the water; he on his back, arms behind his head, and Malik on his belly, resting his chin on folded hands and sweeping his tail idly side to side.

"You really did miss me, didn't you?"

A scoff, and the Egyptian rolled his eyes, but his smile remained. "The... conversation... has been lacking."

Bakura snorted. "I can imagine."

Chuckling, Malik left his lazy, reclined position and got to his feet, making his way to the waterfall. It was only then that the light hit his whole body, and Bakura got a good look at him.

Honestly, if he didn't know better, he may have assumed that the Egyptian had been thrown into a hornet's nest and then stumbled out onto an open road. His body was a mess of bites and bruises, especially dark along the defined lines of his pelvic bones, where the skin was thin and the pressure had been relentless. Bakura could practically read Amir's fingerprints from those bruises, he thought with a caustic snort... when Malik dipped his head under the cleansing spray of the waterfall, the Persian spotted a vicious bite, just at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. It looked as though it had been bitten repeatedly, the little puncture wounds opened and reopened again, red and angry against the bronze tones of the Egyptian's skin. The sight made Bakura's own skin crawl, and he was only too happy when the dripping blonde head reemerged from the spray; that is, until Malik decided to shake his hair dry, spattering the Persian with frigid droplets and enjoying the hiss they raised.

"Wash your hair," Malik instructed, and he beamed when Bakura got to his feet, making his way over to the waterfall. Rather than do as he was told, however, the Persian came up beside Malik, eyes unreadable.

"He did a number on you, you know."

Malik's smile faded, and with uncharacteristic self-consciousness, his gaze fell to his own body, going immediately to the deep bruises lining his hips. He could do nothing to cover them, so he merely huffed a short sigh from his nose, accepting Bakura's probing touch as the Persian brushed his thumb over the marks.

Neither of them heard the rustling of grass, the firm footfalls, as they stared into eachothers' eyes.

"What have we here."

The low voice, growling from merely a few feet away, caused both of them to jump. Malik leapt about a mile away from Bakura, eyes wide and ears flat against his head; Bakura spun about, eyes equally wide, but when he saw the smirk on Amir's face, coupled with the feel of Malik's abused skin still tingling in his fingertips... he recovered quickly from his shock, and straightened to his full height.

"Just catching up with my dear friend Malik." He said nonchalantly, folding his arms over his chest. "Good of you to join us."

"Catching up."

Malik seemed to finally snap from his frozen state, and he raised his chin, feigning the confidence that refused to come.

"What, do you have a problem with that?"

"No," Amir shook his head, still smirking. "I've got nothing to worry about." Stepping into the water, he made his short way over, grin widening when the others tensed. He stopped before them, eyes fixed on Malik, unblinking. "You're mine. He knows it."

The statement was followed by a tense silence, during which all three felids were acutely aware of eachother. The longer Malik went without denying the statement, the more irritated Bakura got; the closer he got to saying something, the more danger would creep into Amir's flashing eyes. It was Bakura who broke the silence, feeling the need to make a move on Malik's behalf for reasons he didn't quite understand.

"I ought to know it... you've thoroughly saturated him in your stink." He said, and he added flippantly,"which he's rather keen on washing off."

The lazy smile dropped from Amir's mouth, and the tension increased tenfold. When he turned to Malik, the smaller Egyptian was barely able to surpress the tremor that threatened to run through his body.

"...Are you?"

"Am I _what_?"

Amir's eyes narrowed.

"Are you washing it off."

"Don't be ridiculous." Malik snorted, and he rolled his eyes. Anything was better than having to face that deadly stare. "I reek. I haven't bathed in days. It's disgusting."

"Disgusting." Bakura chimed in, a satisfied smirk playing at his lips. Amir turned to skewer the Persian with a glare, but strangely enough, Malik's defiance seemed to fuel his own; he answered with a casual shrug. "He said it, not me."

Amir regarded him a moment longer, before that smile returned.

"...It doesn't matter." He growled playfully as he turned to Malik, though the sound was anything but pleasant. "You won't be clean for long."

With that he closed the distance between himself and Malik, snatching him up in his arms and sinking his teeth into the bite on his neck. Malik's jaw snapped shut, brows drawing tight together as he barely surpressed a shriek of pain. Not in front of Bakura.

"_Stop_." He managed to grind out from his clenched teeth.

If Amir heard the command, he didn't acknowledge it, though his teeth did leave Malik's neck in favor of licking sloppily at the wound. It was clear that he intended to coat it in his scent, and once he was satisfied with that he moved further down, grip tight around the smaller Egyptian's waist as he lap at the marks running along the smooth, muscular planes of his back with a particular fervor. Bakura watched, frozen, and wondered if this odd ritual had become a part of the routine over the last few days.

When he was satisfied with his treatment of Malik's back, Amir gripped his hips, drawing a hiss from the smaller Egyptian's throat; it turned to a strangled yelp when his ear was bitten, and then that, too, was licked thoroughly. Bakura's jaw clenched, a growl rumbling low in his throat.

"Fucking- get off!" Malik spat finally, shoving Amir back. The stud Egyptian allowed it, staring at him with a sudden blankness. "Ungh-!"

In a quick, powerful movement, Amir had spun Malik around so that they were facing eachother; to both Bakura and Malik's horror, he sank to a crouch, gripping Malik's waist and shoving his face unabashedly between his legs. Paralyzed in embarrassment, Malik made a choking sound, staring down in wide-eyed disbelief as his crotch was nuzzled and sniffed at; Bakura's jaw dropped. Suddenly Amir stopped and looked up, peering intently into matching, incredulous purple eyes.

"...Malik." He rasped, and then a smile spread across his face, fangs glinting. "Malik."

"What?!" The smaller Egyptian barked, finding the courage to knee him in the chest, though it did little to move him. Rather, he kept staring up at Malik, as if he was the most fascinating thing in the world. "What... what are you looking at?"

But Amir only grinned, eyes wild and gleaming. Malik flushed with fury, shoving him away, but he wouldn't stop smiling; if anything, his smile stretched wider, and suddenly Bakura knew why. The realization was like a lead weight in his gut, dropping to his feet... it hit Malik a split second later, and the Egyptian's eyes went comically wide.

* * *

"Mr. Crawford?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"You've got a message from your house. Something about your pet?"

"Oh! Go on then, what is it? Good news?"

"Um, I suppose... they said you've got a successful pregnancy-"

The receptionist flinched when a triumphant shout blasted in her ear, audible even from outside her employer's office. Then came delighted laughter, so pleased that even she joined in.

If possible, Pegasus J. Crawford was in higher spirits than ever.

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A/N: DUN DUN DUNNN


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG/ IS SO LONG JFC but it's finally done and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I also really have to thank several reviewers who gave me encouraging feedback on the last chapter, when I saw all the negativity I was a bit uninspired to continue but knowing that there is even one person out there who is still looking forward to updates means I'm going to keep writing them~!

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Ch.8

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Bleary eyes, ringed in red and puffy, hair a tousled mess and mouth drawn in a grimace as a hard swallow racked a raw, tortured throat. The action was enough to rile a turbulent stomach, but the bitter hacking that followed produced little more than spit.

Pregnancy, it would seem, did not become Malik.

A few feet away, Bakura hovered in irritation. It figured that only now, when he would be spending most of his time holding back Malik's hair while he vomitted, they would be permitted to see eachother. Ever since it had become apparent that Amir's relentless mating had been a success, the Egyptian stud had been much more lenient, treating Bakura indifferently, if not amicably. He allowed him to consort with Malik to their hearts' content, though at times—and particularly on the evenings when Malik chose to spend the night on Bakura's shelf—they would feel his watchful eye, sense him lurking idly in the nearby greenery. Watching just for watching's sake; Amir was quite secure in his dominance, and the smaller stud was no longer a threat.

Bakura couldn't have been more insulted.

"Ugh," Malik groaned, hoarse from gagging and wiping at his mouth. "Kill me."

Bakura snorted. "Don't tempt me. If I hear that sound one more time, I'll lose my appetite for good."

Malik cast him a weary look. "You're getting chubby, anyway."

Bakura rolled his eyes, even as he helped the Eyptian to his feet. He noted the shudder that racked the others' frame as he stood, gut tightening unconsciously in dread that he was about to start vomiting again... thankfully, Malik merely shut his eyes, and after a moment of concentration the wave of nausea had passed, and he straightened to his full height, groaning.

"You'll be wanting a bath, I assume." Bakura remarked. That was the way it went: Malik ate, vomited for what seemed like an eternity, and washed himself raw afterward. When that was through, he would be so exhausted that he would curl up to nap, usually on Bakura's shelf and more often than not accompanied by the Persian himself. There they would spoon up together, whether it was daytime or evening, relishing the comfort of each others' smooth skin and warm breath. Somewhat surprisingly, Amir didn't seem too bothered about it; it was obvious enough that Malik was too depleted to play at any kind of seduction with his snowy friend. Likewise, Bakura appeared to be content letting Malik rest in his arms, relishing the quiet moments between the Egyptian's griping over his discomfort, enjoying the closeness of his body and purring softly.

True to form, Malik hummed in agreement to Bakura's suggestion, extricating himself from his hold to skulk off towards the pool. He hated feeling grimy, especially in the heat (he'd complained about the temperature to one of the handlers, a little off put when they ignored him completely). And since these bouts of sickness made his skin crawl with feverish discomfort, he was more than happy to bathe every day, sometimes twice. Invariably Bakura followed, though he had little interest in bathing himself; if asked, he would merely attribute his attentiveness to a lack of anything else to do. It was a routine that they'd adhered to for nearly a week... only rarely did Amir interrupt it, venturing into their space in the daytime, making an appearance whenever he thought they were getting a little too chummy with one another, or whenever it struck his fancy.

This day was one such occasion, Bakura and Malik realized as they waded to the middle of the pool. The Egyptian stud was lingering nearby, crouched ominously on a rock by the waterfall, watching them.

"Great," Malik huffed, shaking his soaked hair out and frowning sourly at his belly, "now I'm hungry again."

"What do you expect, tossing your dinner back up?" Bakura went through the motions of scrubbing his forearms; really, he was a little distracted by the piercing gaze coming from Amir's direction. "You should be glad, you know. All that vomiting is keeping you looking trim."

It was true. It had been only a week or so since Malik's pregnancy had been announced, but he had yet to start showing. Bakura wasn't terribly worried; the thought of the pregnancy being unsuccessful didn't exactly break his heart. Not that he was worried for Malik's safety-it didn't even occur to him that something so banal as a failed pregnancy would bring the Egyptian down-rather, he knew that Malik _loathed_ the idea of his stomach swelling. Though Bakura attributed it to vanity, he had a hunch that it was much more complicated than that; nonetheless, his comment served to bring a self-assured smirk to the Egyptian's lips.

"Don't tell me that's _your _secret," he eyed Bakura's slim frame, staring pointedly at his ever-portruding ribs. Bakura snorted.

"Certainly not. This," he planted his hands on his hips, puffing out his slim chest with a mischievous grin, "is all natural."

Malik snickered, splashing him with a flick of his wrist.

They settled into an amicable quiet as Malik started in on cleaning himself in earnest. It was almost amusing how much attention the Egyptian put in to the cleanliness of his own body, right down to spaces between his toes... but Bakura had watched him go through the process about a thousand times, and he knew not to expect anything particularly interesting. Still making some half-assed effort at scrubbing himself, his attention wandered, landing inadvertently on Amir. The moment their eyes met Bakura had to struggle to keep himself from flinching—like happening upon a venomous snake, he was suddenly on full alert. But the longer he stared, knowing that Malik was barely two feet away... he grew bold, allowing his lip to curl into a vaguely unimpressed sneer, raising his chin just a bit.

"Don't look at him."

Bakura turned sharply, a bit surprised to find that Malik was eyeing him with a tense expression. As soon as he realized what the other was talking about, he scoffed, making a show of stretching his back nonchalantly.

"What? I'm not scared." He said, snorting as if the idea were ridiculous. Malik raised a brow, unconvinced, but Bakura merely turned away to nod casually in Amir's direction. Though making eye contact with the bigger stud still sent a chill down his neck, he held his gaze firm; in doing so, he missed Malik's jaw snapping shut, posture going rigid. "Do you suppose he wants a bath as well?"

"I couldn't care less what hewants."

It came out in little more than a venomous mumble, but the statement made Bakura turn nonetheless, unable to surpress his grin. Any indication that Malik wasn't quite as enamored of Amir as he had been was a welcome sign, and the Persian decided to push him a little further. "Really Malik, you could be a little nicer," he leaned in, peering up through his bangs into unimpressed violet. "this is your soul mate, after all."

The Egyptian rolled his eyes, flicking an errant lock from Bakura's eyes and nailing his forehead in the process. "I'm carrying his spawn, aren't I?"

"Spent quite a bit of time with him too, if I recall." Bakura snickered, backing away to splash his chest absently. As he washed himself, however, his smirk took on a predatory gleam, and when he spoke it was in a far-too-conversational tone. "Though I must say, it seems as though you've cut back a bit on the_... physical _relationship."

Malik, who had returned to preening, stopped abruptly. "You listened?"

A grin.

"You scream."

The Egyptian's high cheekbones flushed, color reaching all the way to the bridge of his nose, as his eyes widened in righteous indignation. "...I do _not_."

Bakura laughed out loud. "You do. Scream, moan, gasp, everything in between. Can't keep your cool _all _the time, can you?" He dodged a swipe of onyx claws, agile enough that they met only a wisp of white hair, and continued with an impish grin. "There's this one noise you make, it's a breathy sound... your voice cracks and it comes out as a little squeak. That's my favorite."

If he was red before, Malik was positively glowing now. "You've got five seconds to shut your whore mouth."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Malik. Really." Bakura simpered; Malik's claws twitched at his side. "I mean, you were fucked so raw it'd be a little worrisome if you _weren't _making a racket by the end of it, poor thing."

In a display that Bakura personally found adorable, Malik's eyes widened, and his hands went to his face, hiding it. His voice, muffled by his palms, was positively tortured. "Ugh, are you trying to make me sick again?"

The Persian erupted with laughter, forgetting—if only for the moment—the threat looming mere meters away. Instead, he subjected Malik to a long-due ribbing, and he had plenty to rib him about. It was hardly five minutes before the Egyptian reached his boiling point, and, unable to deny the onslaught of accusations (he _did _make a lot of noise, and he _was _still walking a bit funny), threw up his hands and stalked out of the water, sure to flick his tail and raise up a spray aimed directly at the cackling Persian's eyes.

It was very shortly after Malik had gone that Bakura felt eyes on him. His humor left him almost instantly, and he fought every muscle in his body to stay relaxed, to show no fear. In measured, even movements, he waded to the side of the pool, shaking himself dry on the bank with the clear intention of following after his companion. His efforts proved futile, though, because suddenly there was a voice just feet behind him, and he couldn't help the full-body flinch.

"What was that about?"

Turning around, Bakura was met with Amir's lazy smirk, eyes unreadable as always. Folding his arms across his chest in a carefully casual manner, he smirked back, cocking his chin upward."Speak of the devil." He said conversationally. "We were just talking about you."

Amir's smirk twitched just a bit, the only sign of curiosity in his poker face. "Really?"

"Yes." Bakura swallowed, unable to restrain himself from going on, despite his better judgement. "Something about how he couldn't care less what you want. I thought it was rather cold of him."

"He said that?"

"His exact words."

The smirk dropped completely from Amir's mouth, and Bakura had to control the tremble that wracked his jaw. When the bigger stud spoke, it was in a low, gravelly tone.

"You're lying."

"What reason could I possibly have to lie?" Bakura said innocently, as though he were truly just the bearer of bad news. "It's not like there's any point in my keeping you two apart now. The deed's been done, hasn't it? What does it matter to _you _if he doesn't care?"

"It matters because he's mine."

The tone was still unnerving, no trace of humor, but Bakura was never very good at playing nice. Turning on his heel, he made to walk away, casting back one final dig.

"I'm not the one that needs convincing."

A bruising grip on his shoulder, and he was whirled back around to face the larger stud. Amir's expression was still deadly as a cobra, but his mouth was contorted in a smile. Somehow, it made him all the more fearsome.

"Listen, _Bakura_." He snarled, grip tightening. "I've been pretty generous with you. That doesn't mean I won't change my mind."

"What, are you going to attack me?" Bakura wrenched himself away, giving a dark grin of his own. "Do it. I've been itching to fight you since the day we got here."

"Are you serious?" Amir blinked before giving a short, sharp laugh. "You think you could take me on?"

"Not alone, no," Bakura admitted, and then he folded his arms across his chest, adding as if it were an afterthought, "but... I think me and Malik could."

Amir blinked again.

This time, however, he did not laugh.

"You think he'd take your side?"

There was nothing left of Amir's smile, only a violent, venomous glare. Much as he refused to be intimidated, Bakura swallowed, and found that his throat had gone dry. Nonethless, he kept the smirk on his face. "I didn't say that."

"Wipe that fucking smirk off your face." Amir snarled. "He's mine. He'd side with me."

"I told you, I didn't say he wouldn't. Who exactly are you trying to convince-"

In a flash even he couldn't avoid, Bakura's chest was slammed into, the air leaving his lungs. His vision darkened for a moment, and then suddenly his body was lighting up in pain all over, face planted in the dirt and ears ringing. He tried to lift his head, only to be slammed back down by a fully-clawed hand planted in the back of his skull, forcing his face into the ground.

"You," Amir's raspy voice, mere inches from Bakura's ear, and oh _god _he was far too close, "don't listen." When he tried to suck in a breath, Amir increased the pressure at the back of his head, grinding Bakura's face into the dirt. The Persian's desperate protests were muffled by the ground, and Amir grinned, eyes now dilated wildly. "Do you?"

After another moment, an increase in the struggling, Amir let Bakura lift his head just a bit. The Persian gasped for air, choking, and tried to twist his neck so that he might fix the other stud with his furious glare. To his shock, Amir's face was much closer than he had anticipated, and only then did he realize how much of his body was covered by the stronger, larger Egyptian. Something in his gut trembled in visceral dread; it must have shown on his face, because Amir's grin widened to the point that every sharp, gleaming tooth was bared in open threat, and the larger body was forced against him, pinning him tighter to the ground.

_No._

Bakura's eyes widened, breath catching in his ragged throat as he felt it—Amir's hips, forced against his in a pointed thrust.

_NO. _

Outraged sparked in the pit of his stomach; with a snarl and strength he didn't even realize he possessed, Bakura began to thrash around in a rabid frenzy. Amir's grip faltered long enough for him to wrench his head free, leaving five neat puncture wounds in his scalp, and he wriggled out of the hold, disgust rendering his legs jelly-like as he scrambled away. To his horror, Amir merely laughed, mocking him.

Then he lurched forward, and Bakura gave a short cry as he was caught. Pulse already racing, he fought madly, only to be squeezed in a crushing grip around his chest and upper arms, pinned between the ground and Amir's unrelenting hips once again. This time he was truly flat against the ground, and he could feel the other stud's half-hard length against his thigh, threatening his pride like a weapon.

The voice in his ear was infuriating; he could hear the smug grin.

"I'll only say this one more time, so listen closely." It took a moment to recognize the sensation, and Bakura cringed belatedly at the hot tongue cresting the rim of his ear. Drinking in the smaller stud's discomfort, Amir paused a moment, just to allow the moment to sink in. Bakura was still, pinned as he was in an inextricable grip; though he'd barely exerted himself, his body was gleaming, a sick, nervous sweat. His scent struck Amir's nostrils... weaker than his own, inferior in potency. He smirked. "Malik is my bitch. He's mine, this is _my_ domain, and _you_" A thrust of his hips, and Bakura gave a strangled snarl, "are nothing here. Is that clear?"

In the silence that followed, two things _were_ clear: one, that Amir's dominance had been established effectively, and two, that Bakura would rather die than admit it.

Amir snapped his teeth, just to watch the other flinch. Then he raised himself up, making no small show of using Bakura's body as leverage, shoving him further into the dirt. And though he was freed now, the Persian made little move to get up; he raised himself onto his forearms, scowling at the other from under a curtain of knotted white.

The scowl was returned with a lazy, vaguely amused stare.

"Tch. Forget it." Amir snorted, noting with satisfaction that for all his glaring the other's ears were flat to his head, tail tucked between his legs. "It's fun enough just to watch you piss yourself. Later, Bakura."

* * *

Minutes stretched into hours, and Malik wondered what was keeping Bakura.

True, they didn't spend _every _waking moment together; both of them needed time away from the other, since they still bickered more often than not. Still, it seemed like an odd time for the Persian to decide to go off on his own... the "sun" had already gone down, and it wasn't as though there was much to do out in the dark that couldn't be done in the morning. Malik turned on to his belly, tail swishing idly in the air, frowning impatiently. It would not even occur to him to think that his irritation was anything like concern.

He must have dozed off at some point, lulled by the warm night air, because the next thing he knew was that a pale form was crawling over him, flopping himself down somewhat violently to face the wall. Malik rolled onto his back, stretching his arms and casting his gaze to the fluffy white head.

"Mm, finally. I was beginning to think you'd drowned."

Bakura gave no indication that he had heard. Curious, Malik turned to prop himself up on one elbow, peering over the Persian's shoulders to try to get a glimpse of his face. When Bakura merely turned further away, settling huffily so that he was almost face down on the rock, Malik went on.

"So... what kept you?" He kept his tone light, but something about Bakura's behavior was making him uncomfortable. "Surely you didn't think I was really angry with you."

"It's fine."

"...Is it?" The statement had been ground out, rough as gravel, and Malik dropped the pretense of a good mood, brows furrowing. "You're acting weird."

Finally Bakura turned to face him, and the discomfort Malik had felt earlier was magnified by his bitter expression, his red-rimmed eyes. When he spoke, it was with no small measure of venom.

"I'm just tired, okay? Shut up or leave."

"Excuse me?" Malik blinked, drawing back and sitting up fully. "What's gotten up your ass?"

"_Shut up!_"

It had been a _roar_. Malik flinched backward, eyes wide and mouth clamped shut. Now he was certain—something was _definitely _wrong here.

"Bakura." He said firmly, reaching for the other's shoulder and forcing him to face away from the wall, only exerting more pressure when he was met with resistance. "What's going on."

"Nothing-" Bakura swatted at the hand; a mistake, because Malik seized his wrist, and then the other, and he was flipped onto his back. Immediately he began to squirm, wrenching at the restraining grip. "Fuck-"

Panic rising in his chest, Malik met his fury with equal strength, intent on keeping Bakura's face in view. In an effort to dislodge him, Bakura twisted his torso so as to turn over; he only succeeded in winding himself into Malik's arms, pulled tight, back against his chest, his own arms trapped uncomfortably against eachother. His struggling diminished somewhat at the closeness... it escalated to near violence when he felt the other's face against his neck, the rush of sharp breath as his hair and then his shoulders and back were sniffed at. He had to get away—he knew what, _who_ Malik was smelling on him, and there was only one reason that scent would be on his back.

Malik allowed him to break free, but it was obviously too late. He _knew_.

With a bitter hiss, Bakura rolled onto his side, facing the wall once again.

"Bakura."

He could _hear _the pity in the other's soft voice. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shot up onto his hands, whipping his hair around to glare, making every effort to scald that infuriating concern off of Malik's face.

"Don't... don't fucking look at me like that." He snarled, but it had the opposite effect; the Egyptian only softened further, brows furrowing in what was clearly sympathy. Bakura couldn't stand it, so he turned back around, the muscles of his arms pulsing nervously as they held him upright. "It's not a big deal, okay?"

It was silent for a moment, and neither of them moved. Then Malik shifted away, coming up into a crouch and staring off in some unknown direction, eyes cold.

"...I'm going to kill him."

Bakura snorted so quickly it nearly choked him.

"Oh _are _you?" He cooed, cocking his head in an exaggerated mockery of curiosity. "You. You're going to kill him."

Malik merely stared as Bakura threw his head back and laughed, loud and high pitched, sharp as the Adam's apple jumping in his pale neck.

When he was done, he leaned uncomfortably close. "Let me tell you something, oh brave one." Malik twitched when a clawed finger jabbed at his chest. "_You_ may not have noticed while you were face down in his bed, but that thing you call a mate is _dangerous_. If you think you can kill him, you are sorely mistaken."

Narrowing his eyes, Malik brushed the offending finger away with a disdainful scowl. "He's not that much stronger than me-"

"No." Bakura said firmly. "You're wrong. This is what you don't see, my dear." He leaned in even closer, to the point that his breath was hitting Malik's face. "He could kill you. And you... you just swoon over him like he's your own personal wet dream-"

At this, Malik flinched backward, barking an incredulous laugh and staring down at the Persian.

"_What?_"

"I'm tired of it!" Bakura yelled, shaking his wild mane so that it fell haphazardly in his blazing eyes. Pale hands clutched tightly to the point of raising angry red blotches in his palms; Malik's expression grew soft again. "I'm tired of acting like I can just ignore it, oh, don't mind him, because you know what? I'm _scared _of him." A high, chilly laugh. "There. I said it. I'm scared of him. And the fact that you aren't makes me wonder if you're just too fucking _stupid_ to realize what a threat he is!"

"You..." Malik swallowed, throat suddenly very tight. "...you honestly think... I'm not scared of him?"

Bakura paused for a moment, brows furrowing. Blinked once.

It was Malik's turn to laugh.

The sound tore from his throat, disbelieving and _so _bitter. "You think that _I'm_ _not scared of him_. You really think that."

Bakura blinked again, and when he spoke it was just a bit subdued.

"But- if- why did you just _let_ him-"

"I-I'm _terrifie_d of him!" Malik's laughter wracked his frame, shuddering in his chest, and Bakura could only watch, slowly trying to comprehend this new information. "Oh, fuck..."

And suddenly, a lot of things made sense.

Things that Bakura, in his jealousy, had attributed to infatuation... Malik's dismissal of Amir's behavior, _oh don't bother with him, don't look at him, **don't fight him**..._ his odd compliance, out of character even in his heat, and that first day, when he'd been reduced to shaking, wordless... it hadn't been arousal at all, and it had never been infatuation, and Bakura felt so stupid that he could have torn his hair out.

"...You idiot." His voice came out as a strangled groan. "You _idiot_. Why didn't you tell me?"

Malik fixed him with a deadpan stare.

"I didn't want you to know." He said evenly. _I still don't. Don't you see it's just as hard for me to admit as it is for you? To be so helpless... Ugh, we're _**_both_**_ idiots. _"It's not even like I hid it that well..." He chuckled a little, still so painfully amused at the Persian's misconception. "...God Bakura, you really are dense..."

"You're an idiot." Bakura repeated, and shifted his eyes away, because his next statement was a bit too candid for comfort. "I would have helped you."

Indeed, Malik blinked at the muttered admission. His own gaze flicked to the side, and he spoke in a murmur. "I don't need help," he sighed, even to his own ears he sounded like a child.

"It's not a matter of needing, you fool." Bakura grumbled, shaking his head, drawing Malik's gaze back. He knew better than to comment on the redness burning at the Persian's cheeks. "Know an opportunity when you see it, will you? Or is your pride too blinding?"

Malik glared, but there was no real anger behind it; he held it only a moment, watching Bakura grow more and more embarrassed as the silence drug on, before he relented with a short sigh.

"Okay, Bakura."

He nodded, turning away to face the open environment, the artificial night sky glittering overhead. "We'll do it. We'll take him on." A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. "Don't let either of us die."

Bakura scoffed, straightening a bit from his curled posture.

"As if I'd die."

"Don't let me die, then."

"I won't make any promises."

"You don't have to. I trust you."

As soon as the words had left his lips, Malik tensed, flicking his gaze sidelong to watch the other's reaction. It was an admission he clearly hadn't meant to make, but when the slow smile spread across Bakura's face, he relaxed again, let himself realize that it was true; he _did _trust Bakura, and the longer he stared at his companion's profile, the truer he knew it was. Eyes softening, Malik leaned forward to brush his nose against Bakura's cheek, pausing only a moment before nuzzling him affectionately.

The flush that crept up the Persian's pale neck was nothing short of comical.

When Bakura's head turned, questioning, he was answered with a small lick to his cheek, and then another, on the corner of his mouth. Seeing Malik's face so close, eyes serenely lidded and thick lashes nearly tickling his face, he responded in kind, rubbing against the bridge of the Egyptian's nose with his own. A low purr resonated between them, and Bakura licked the seam of Malik's lips, drawing the purple gaze open, so close that he could see every fleck of blue and brown and grey. Bakura held the gaze, wordless, lost in color.

The moment their mouths made contact was electric.

A sharp groan of pleasure (belonging to either or both of them) vibrated against their teeth, made their lips tingle. Bakura's pulse raced as Malik's warm arms wrapped around his back, fingers winding in his hair, drawing him in closer; his own arms flew up to clutch the other in return, clinging to the moment. Everywhere their bodies met was hot, buzzing with electricity, mingling their scents to create a new and potent perfume.

Lips parted, and Malik shifted to straddle Bakura's lap, and for the first time the Persian felt the sweet burn of his strong, smooth thighs pressing on either side of his hips, inviting him even as his mouth was dominated by a bossy tongue. The latter he battled only briefly before relenting to the heady assault, and Malik's slick muscle moved against his own, snakelike and hypnotic, brushing against his palette in a way that sent sparks down the back of his neck. His blooming arousal pushed up against Malik's rear; when he was answered with a similar hardness, brushing against his belly, his head spun. He pulled away from the wet, hot mouth, glancing down at his lap... indeed, Malik was hard, silk draping over the contour of his sizeable erection. The sight of it, of the fabric pooling between them, the caramel-smooth skin encircling his pale waist, drew a helpless groan from Bakura's throat. Malik hummed in approval, and Bakura's hazy gaze fluttered up, taking in his partner's flushed face.

Their eyes met, dilated with lust, each grinning in his own satisfaction.

"Go on, Bakura." Malik breathed, swollen lips wrapping decadently around the sounds of his partner's name.

Bakura's grin stretched to a near-manic degree, before he dove in again, claiming Malik's mouth. The force propelled them forward, leaving Malik on his back and Bakura settled happily between the Egyptian's legs. Clearly affronted, Malik growled in his throat, nipping Bakura's invading tongue; the Persian abandoned the kiss, but wasted no time in latching his mouth to the exposed throat below him. The gold bands, pleasing to the eye as they may be, were severely limiting the amount of space Bakura was allotted to mark... an impressive mark it would have to be, then. Malik gasped as teeth pressed into the tender flesh, on the other side from where Amir had taken to abusing. And while Amir's teeth had pierced his skin, Bakura's caressed it, worshipped it. Malik's legs moved on their own, drawing up around Bakura's slim hips and hugging him closer, enticing and welcoming him.

It was with his mouth still attached to Malik's neck that Bakura began to move his hips. Slow, firm thrusts, and Malik rolled his own hips to meet them, eyes sliding closed with a groan. Bakura pressed deeper into the kiss, pushing his tongue slowly in and out of the hot cavern, mimicking with his mouth what he intended to do elsewhere. Rather than retreating, Malik responded by squeezing Bakura's waist tighter, allowing another minute of slow grinding before he drew away with a lick to the Persian's thin, parted lips.

Bakura's brows furrowed in question; they shot up to his hairline as he watched Malik turn onto his stomach, leaning on his forearms and raising his hips up, tail swishing.

When he didn't respond immediately, Malik turned to eye Bakura in question. Seeing the dumbfounded expression on his partner's face, the Egyptian held his gaze purposefully, and gave a beckoning nod.

Bakura needed no further invitation.

Unable to restrain himself, the Persian wrapped his arms around Malik's waist and started rutting against him, cock pulsing to full attention with every thrust, every sharp breathful of the other's scent. Malik mewled at the sudden sensation of Bakura's firm arousal beating against him, leaning back towards him and spreading his legs a bit further in the process. Pressing his hand flat to the other's smooth, broad chest, Bakura coaxed Malik into twisting onto his side, intent on attacking his mouth again as soon as it was accessible. The Egyptian responded immediately, meeting the onslaught with equal fervor before tearing away.

His hands went for Bakura's waistband; Bakura's hands went for his.

When they were both bare, Malik made to turn over again—he got only halfway there, pausing on his side to groan as Bakura slid between his legs and drove their bare bodies together. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, he was meant to get on his stomach, assuming the lordosis position... he yowled a bit, more in confusion than anything else. Then Bakura's cock pressed insistently, the delicious burn drawing a groan from his throat, and Malik forgot what he was objecting to in the first place. He used the position to his advantage, wrapping his legs around Bakura's hips again, drawing him closer; the Persian whined, hips rocking, desperate to breach the tight ring of muscle separating him from his pleasure.

The moment that he pushed inside, Bakura's mind went blank.

The feel of Malik's body surrounding and accepting him, wanting him... his eyes slid shut, breath catching in his throat.

He should have known better than to take the moment, because almost instantly heels dug into the backs of his thighs, and his eyes flicked back open. Sure enough, his inquiring gaze met frustrated purple, demanding more... he grinned, ever the bossy one, Malik was a prince even now.

And Bakura was more than willing to obey.

Within minutes, their bodies were moving together at a furious pace. Sweat coursed freely down Bakura's back with the effort, slick between them where their hot skin pressed together. Malik was a mess of sounds, ones that Bakura recognized with a smirk... others that were new, warm, pleased ones that made his chest thrum with pride. The passage around his cock was hot and velvet soft, smooth muscle contracting with every gasp and moan; it was heaven, drawing him deeper, and he knew that he wouldn't last. Thankfully, as claws dug into the slick flesh of his back, shifted to his neck and scalp when a deep shudder wracked the writhing body below him, he was assured that he wouldn't have to.

"Bakura, I'm gonna cum," Malik hissed, fisting his hands in the wild, white mane.

Bakura grinned wildly and gritted his teeth, quickened his pace. His short, rapid thrusts drove the breath out of Malik, making his eyes slide shut as his orgasm approached. The Egyptian's chest tightened; he sensed that Bakura was close, too... it was really happening. They were mating. Regardless of their intentions Bakura was inside him, he was inside his body and they were really _mating_...the realization made Malik's eyes flash open, his grip tightening in the Persian's wild hair, panic rising in his chest. Oh god he was weak, dominated, he'd lose Bakura's respect, nothing more than a bitch... he had to get away, he could still talk his way out of this, he could fight him off and laugh at him, they could still be equals, it wasn't too late, he just had to get away and then...!

His vision focused, and there was Bakura.

His friend.

Eyes barely open, thin lips parted and pale face flushed, sweat glowing along its sharp contours... and even with his brows drawn together, his eyes held nothing but adoration. Warmth, want and trust. It was so... so _embarrassing,_ his soul was practically bared, no games, no trickery, just this untrained honesty and naked, genuine affection, the desire to give pleasure as much as it was taken, oh, it was laughable_... _but Malik's heart swelled, and he knew his own soul was just as bare to Bakura. The thought made his body spasm uncontrollably, his arms tighten around Bakura's slick back, thighs squeezing his thin, stammering hips.

They came together, chest to chest and gasping into each other's hair.


End file.
